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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646835">Inked Love (Bendy/Fem!Reader)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetly_Intoxicated/pseuds/ToonieX'>ToonieX (Sweetly_Intoxicated)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bendy and the Ink Machine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Horror, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:20:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28646835</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetly_Intoxicated/pseuds/ToonieX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Very funny guys! Now please open the door, I need you show you something!"</p><p>You pounded your fist on the door, and nothing but silence was rewarded for your actions. You turn around, and then you see him.</p><p>Bendy.</p><p>He stands before you, his grin widening as you make eye contact with his inked ones. You shove your hand behind your back, feeling for the doorknob. You jiggled it violently, but the door still didn't budge. Your eyes never left his, and he chuckled.</p><p>"That door isn't opening in a long while kiddo, so you might as well get comfortable."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bendy (Bendy and the Ink Machine)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Before We Begin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>PLEASE NOTE: This story was ORIGINALLY posted on Quotev, by me! You can find me there as ToonieX. I'm just posting it here for more people to enjoy (laugh at).</p><p>I wrote this when I was 13. Only chapter one had come out, and I was making up the story as I went along. This is has NOTHING to do with the actual story at this point. I haven't even finished all of BATIM, and I probably never will. So, I don't even know how horribly incorrect everything is. All I can say is don't hate me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I just wanted to clarify that everything that transpires during this story is my spin on BATIM. Not everything may be perfectly canon by the game, but more of my own rendition. They story will stay along the general path of the original story line with the exception of adding a few characters-including you-to the story. That being said, there will be added plot lines and backstories to these characters. Another small thing, details such as Bendy's height and the height of the reader will be written by me. I will not, however, write in any chapter "Reader is exactly five feet tall". It will be more like "Reader is smaller than the structure/person". Other small character details regarding the length of hair, glasses, etc. will not be mentioned. Unless you count the fact that your hair is long enough to at least put a brush through. </p>
<p> I do not own Bendy and the Ink Machine.</p>
<p>Next topic: Updates. I want to update as much as I can but sometimes I get discouraged easily. If, for example, you wanted me up update extremely badly all you must do is tell me. I'm definitely not one of those authors who treat their readers poorly because they want an update. As long as you read and enjoy my story, it's enough motivation to keep writing. </p>
<p>Another thing I want to point out is my writing skills. I am, by no means, a perfect writer. I make many mistakes and often overlook them. All I can say about that is to not hate me for it. I'm truly sorry for my lack in experience. On the bright side, at least I'm practicing.</p>
<p>Lastly, I decided that the names of your friends will be made up. I know that it takes away some of the freedom of an X Reader, but it saves time. And if it saves time, that means more updates.</p>
<p>That's all I have for now! I'll be sure to update if I need to add anything!</p>
<p>
  <strong>Edit 1: Now that the second chapter is out, I'm just going to keep what I originally had planned for this story going. I have no idea how far off the story line is, but that's just how it's going to be. I might find a way to add a few things from the second chapter, and I might not. It just depends when and where I could fit those things in without completely throwing off the story. Okay, I think that's all for now. Thanks!</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Edit 2: If you are here because of the latest chapter, "Runaway Toon", hello! If you are new to this story, then also, hello! I just wanted to say that, since some people have been asking about Sammy, I found a way to add him in. The only problem is that I don't know much about Sammy, and I haven't played chapter two, I only watched a playthrough. So, due to those setbacks, the Sammy in this story will most likely be far from the canon Sammy. I'll try and get that "crazy for Bendy" vibe going soon, but it might take a few chapters. And also, he isn't inky and stuff like that, yet. Stay happy, my Toons!</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Devilish Dares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You sat on your couch, the orange sun peeking through the windows. The time read 5:52 PM. Your (E/C) eyes scanned the room looking for anything to relieve your enduring boredom. They landed on the television remote, picking it up, you quickly switched through the channels. Nothing interesting seemed to be on at the time so you just left it on the news. You stood up to stretch your muscles and walked around your living room. As you did, a (H/C) strand of hair fell in front of your eyes and you brushed it away with your index finger. Now being able to see clearly, you walked over to an old picture frame. In it, a photo of you and your parents smiling carelessly caught your attention. The photo had dust gathering on the glass encasing it and you wiped it away using the hem of your shirt. A growing pang of guilt weighed down on your chest as you began to gaze upon your mother and father. They had both gone out of town due to their jobs, and you being old enough, they decided to leave you alone. Well, your father thought you could handle it, but your mother was more wary of the situation. She gave you an entire agenda to follow; a set time for everything. She told you what to do and what not to do. And one of those "Do Not's" were inviting people over.</p><p>A knock arose behind your door. One. Two. Three. You changed your demeanor into that of a happy one as you opened the door to greet one of your best friends: Sarah. Her thick blonde hair laid lazily over her head and her blue eyes looked bright. Sarah was always happy, and you never understood how or why. She was the type of girl that would laugh at any joke and bring smiles to people's faces-even yours. You were always known for being the "Debbie Downer" of the group. She walked inside and started towards your room to put her bags away. Behind her followed Brittany, your other closest friend. She had dark curly brown hair. So dark, in fact, anyone could mistake it for black hair. She always had it secured with a hairband behind her face. She walked in following Sarah after saying a quick accented hello. Her parents were Mexican, so she definitely has an accent even though she claims to know hardly any Spanish at all. You smile and close the door, the gush of wind blowing your hair slightly from doing so and make your way down the hall to your room.</p><p>"Wow... So this is your house, (Y/N)?" asked Brittany, setting her things beside Sarah's. You nodded as Sarah laughed, obviously amused at how surprised Brittany was. Your house was small, your parents couldn't afford a real one after the old one had burned down. While no one got hurt in the fire, you lost everything. Thus having to restart your life in this rented mobile home. It wasn't a trailer, but it definitely wasn't a house either. Sort of a mix of the two. After about three years of living here, however, your life began to start looking up. Brittany looked around your pale blue room with a bed in the center all made up with crisp clean sheets. Sarah plopped down on it, making her bounce slightly and Brittany did the same. </p><p>"So... What do you wanna do, (Y/N)?" Sarah inquired looking around for things to spark her interest. You hummed, thinking. You didn't have much to do at your house, but there was one thing.</p><p>"We could play truth or dare....?" I said warily.</p><p>Brittany's dark brown eyes lit up like a neon sign and she gasped. </p><p>"Perfect! Now I can get back at your for making fun of me about my hair!" she exclaimed as she playfully punched Sarah's arm, making her screech and giggle doing the same to her. </p><p>You smiled and waved your hand, beckoning them to the floor. All three of you sat in a circle on the soft carpet and you announced that "Rock, Paper, Scissors" would be the best way to decide who gets to go first. Sarah eyed both of you as all of your fists were clenched above your other hand, ready to start the game. Instantly, you all screamed "ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!" as loud as possible. The first thing you noticed, sadly, was that you were the only paper against two scissors-meaning you had lost the game entirely-and you were going first. Now all that's left is Sarah and Brittany, and whoever wins gets to say truth or dare first. Another round later, and Brittany groaned in frustration as her rock lost to Sarah's paper.</p><p>"So (Y/N)..." Sarah said slowly, savoring the moment.</p><p>"Truth or Dare?"</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ink on the Walls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Now all that's left is Sarah and Brittany, and whoever wins gets to say truth or dare first. Another round later, and Brittany groaned in frustration as her rock lost to Sarah's paper.</p><p>"So (Y/N)..." Sarah said slowly, savoring the moment.</p><p>"Truth or Dare?"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You sighed, wondering if you should just go with the coward's way out and just pick truth. But then you began to think. You didn't break your mother's rules for nothing, and you weren't just going to sit around and do nothing while they were here. You smirked, bravery overtaking you briefly.</p><p>"I choose... Dare."</p><p>Sarah laughed, an evil smile creeping its way onto her features while Brittany giggled with her. Yes, your friends were indeed your friends; otherwise this wouldn't be happening right now. They both huddled together, whispering quietly. You sat there patiently, awaiting their verdict. Sarah jolted upright and laughed maniacally as did Brittany. You regret your decision.</p><p>"We dare you..." Brittany said, trying to hold in laughter.</p><p>"To go to that creepy building down the street." Sarah finished her sentence, smiling at you.</p><p>You sighed, of course they had to choose the creepy building. You and Sarah both were a sucker for horror, so you aren't really surprised with this dare. But you still didn't expect the building. Your father had said something about it once or twice, saying it used to be a place to work. Or something of the sort. You weren't all that interested in it so you never asked, thus your ignorance in the purpose of the run-down establishment. You shook your head and stood up.</p><p>"Okay, but you are walking with me."</p><p>You made your way down the hall, grabbing your jacket as Sarah and Brittany both came in the living room laughing with their phones out. The time read 7:09 PM and it was about twilight outside, the orange of the sun still peaking out of the summer sky. Opening the door, you three walked outside and onto the gravel road in front of your house silently. </p><p>"So... What do you want me to do when we get to the building?" You asked, slight nervousness pricking at your stomach.</p><p>"Eh, not much. Just go inside and look around, maybe get a few pics to show us." Brittany said carelessly.</p><p>"Okay, sounds fair."</p><p>About five minutes of walking later, and you finally reached the building. The sun had gone behind the trees and your feet and legs relaxed after walking so much. The building had yellowed on the outside, the white bricks tattered with dirt and crumbling with age.</p><p>"Okay (Y/N)... Go in and tell us what you see. We'll be right here. Also, scream bloody murder if you need help." Sarah teased, nudging you forward.</p><p>Your feet crunched on the gravel as you walked up to the door, examining it. It was wood. Rotten wood. The frame around it was the same color as the door and weak, barely keeping the seal tight enough to protect the inside from the harsh forces of nature. Despite the seal being there, it was easy to push the door open with little effort. You walked inside, the floorboards creaking with every step you took. You walked into a small hallway, a bigger room being visible a few feet ahead. The foundation of the place seemed to be made of wood, and you noticed posters lining the hallway, greeting you as the door slammed shut. You jolted around, and you notice an "Exit" sign above the door. You dismissed the growing fear as just one of your friends shutting the door to scare you.</p><p>You eyed the poster to your right, noticing a cartoon body with no head and the words: "<em>Bendy in: <strong>The Dancing Demon</strong>" </em>inked onto the paper. You felt heat rush throughout your face, even though your blood had run cold. The word "Demon" repeating in your head, you looked at the poster to your left. There's a gloved hand on this one, and the words: "<em>Bendy in: <strong>Little Devil Darlin'</strong>". </em>Devil. Demon. You are beyond freaked out at this point, and contemplate just running out. But...</p><p>You don't.</p><p>You don't know why, but you start to walk forward. You have never done anything this daring before, and honestly, you didn't think you would ever do something this daring again. Another poster: "<em>Bendy in: <strong>Sheep Songs! </strong>With <strong>BORIS </strong>the <strong>WOLF!</strong>" </em>A cartoon wolf holding a clarinet smiled at you through the poster, its animated eyes looking dull. You still walked on nonetheless.</p><p>You walked into a room with turning gears on the wall, and two hallways to your left and right. In the far left corner stood a slanted cardboard cutout of a strangely interesting character. It reminded you of the classic days of Disney, and the old Mickey Mouse. The body matched the one on the poster perfectly, and you concluded that this character was Bendy. You traced your fingertip around each line of his face, a trail of dust being wiped off as you did so. You turned and looked elsewhere, and your interest in the cartoon characters began to grow more and more as you explored the building. There were what seemed to be old wooden work desks, with papers piling on top of them. The yellowed paper had Bendy drawn on some of them, and rather cute designs on others. A projector illuminated a square of the wall, it tilted slightly. You wondered if it contained any of the cartoons.</p><p>After looking around, you concluded that this place must have been an animation studio years ago. You smiled in excitement. You love to draw and have a deep appreciation for all things cartoon. Ever since you were a toddler you had been drawing cartoons and your friends thought of you as an artist. Speaking of your friends, you needed to bring them in here. This isn't about Truth or Dare anymore, it's about this place right here. You ran to the door from which you came in and grabbed the knob, turning it. It didn't budge. You pushed and pulled the door, but it still wouldn't open.</p><p>"Very funny guys! Now please open the door, I need you show you something!"</p><p>You pounded your fist on the door, and nothing but silence was rewarded for your actions. You turn around, and then you see him.</p><p>Bendy.</p><p>He stands before you, his grin widening as you make eye contact with his inked ones. You shove your hand behind your back, feeling for the doorknob. You jiggled it violently, but the door still didn't budge. Your eyes never left his, and he chuckled.</p><p>"That door isn't opening in a long while kiddo, so you might as well get comfortable."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Reviving the Old</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He stands before you, his grin widening as you make eye contact with his inked ones. You shove your hand behind your back, feeling for the doorknob. You jiggled it violently, but the door still didn't budge. Your eyes never left his, and he chuckled.</p><p>"That door isn't opening in a long while kiddo, so you might as well get comfortable."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You stood still as his words sank in. Your entire body is pulsing hot with adrenaline. Your heartbeat thumps in your ears and you can barely feel the soft gloved hand grab your wrist. You're yanked forward with such force you stumble catching up with your own feet. Bendy only scoffs.</p><p>"Come with me. I need to show you something."</p><p>He leads you down a series of hallways, passing a room with a huge machine labeled "Ink Machine" and down a dark hallway. You notice his tail flicking slightly every few seconds and he turns his head towards you, his eyes shrinking into a squint. You cock your head to the side and he rolls his eyes and looks forward again. You really can't escape at this point, for a cartoon he has a tight grip on your hand. And even if you tried, he'd definitely catch you; you don't want to anger him. The floorboards creak and there are puddles of black ink lining the walls and floor. The entire inside as a whole has a yellow-ish hue to it, contrasting with the black of the ink. Dark corners and hallways almost mock you as you try not to think of the monsters that could be hiding within them.</p><p>You feel a tug at your wrist and look up, and your breath stops at your throat, creating a lump. There, lying on an angled table is the wolf. Boris was his name. His entire abdomen had been opened up, and he looked as if he had been dissected. He was alive at one point it seems. Bendy coughs and you turn towards him. His eyes are small and he is looking down at his feet. You can sense the thick atmosphere, Boris had to have been special to Bendy. The posters told you that. Your shoulders loosen, and you put your free hand on his shoulder, taking in the warm soft feeling of his skin-like texture. His eyes blink, and a drop of black falls from his eyes. He chokes out a shaky sigh.</p><p>"Today was the day it happened. The day that Joey-" his voice quivered, and more black oozed from his cartoon eyes.</p><p>You didn't know what to do, you wished to comfort him but you were still very afraid. His head slowly looked up, eyes locking with yours. You stared into his eyes as he sighed once more and his grip tightened onto your wrist.</p><p>"I'm glad you chose today to show up... because this is the part where you come in." </p><p>He pushed you into the room with Boris and your wrist felt cold without the contact of his hand on it. Your legs shook as you stepped closer to the perished wolf. You shakily put your hand on his gloved one and began to connect the dots in your head. It's obvious Bendy took me here for a reason, but I'm still not sure what. Maybe he just wanted me to see his friend.<em> "This is the part where you come in." </em>That sentence rang in your head over and over again, and you put your hand on Boris's snout. His eyes were dull, glassy, gaping holes. It filled you with this weird feeling to see the happy smiling wolf on the poster and then to see him lie here, dead. You examined every inch of the wolf, comparing it to the happy-go-lucky cartoon every feature at a time. At this point, you hadn't noticed Bendy had walked away long ago until he returned to the doorway.</p><p>In his hands were a pencil and paper, the pencil dull at the end and the paper yellowed and tearing at the edges. His permanent smile falters slightly as he gently places the items in your palms. The glossy pencil feels cold and unnatural in your hand, you hadn't really held one since school let out for the summer. You eyed them and looked up at the demon before you. He looked sad but at the same time... Hopeful.</p><p>"Gee, I... I sure hope you can draw, kid." His eyes had lowered and his smile disappeared.</p><p>You stared at the paper, your brain trying to process what he had said. You slowly nodded, still not looking into the demon's saddened eyes. He gently takes your arm, and leads you out of the room; you look at Boris one last time before disappearing around a corner. He leads you to one of the desks you had found when you first walked in, but this one had designs for Boris instead of bendy lazily sketched along the papers. He pulled out the chair for you and bowed dramatically as you sat down. His tail began to flick ever so slightly as he eyed you. Your eyes were locked upon the sketches before you, and he started towards where you had come; to Boris.</p><p>You didn't really think, you just drew. Your hand was working on its own and you allowed it to. You drew Boris. He was happily playing the clarinet with Bendy by his side. Your hand moved to a clean spot on the paper and drew another picture. Boris and Bendy, both embracing one another. Your eyes were tearing up, it reminded you of when your house had burned down. You hadn't lost family, no, but you did lose your cat. And as a child, that really hurt you. Along with losing everything you owned and where you once lived. You remembered when your father was looking at the remains of what was once your home. Your father had found, perfectly intact, a piece of paper with the words "Love is important" scribbled in red marker taped on the mirror in the bathroom. You remembered writing that a few months before it happened. You even remembered when you misspelled the word "Important" and wrote "Importanant" instead. Somehow, it survived the fire. Ever since that day, you lived by those words.</p><p>There, at the top of the paper, you wrote in cursive: "Love Is Important" You had sketched about seven pictures of Boris and Bendy together, hugging, singing, and laughing. You stood up and began to retrace your steps to the room where Boris lies. There Bendy was, hugging him while black tears streamed down his face. You walked in and took Bendy's warm gloved hands and places the paper into his palms. You gave him a smile, trying to make him feel better. You could see his eyes move along the paper, his expressions changing ever so slightly every time he sees a new picture. He gazes at the top of the paper for what seemed like an eternity and he began to chuckle lightly. A single tear drops onto the paper, a black splotch staining the corner of Boris's feet.</p><p>"Wow..." His voice shook slightly, still recovering from sobbing.</p><p>"I didn't know I found myself an artist when you came in..." He paused, smiling at you. "Thanks for drawing me with my pal one last time... You know, I don't believe I ever got your name, Artsy." He winked at the nickname he decided to give you, and you smile.</p><p>As long as he isn't sad or going to kill you, you are perfectly okay with him calling you Artsy.</p><p>"It's (Y/N)... And you're welcome, Bendy."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Kerosene</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"I didn't know I found myself an artist when you came in..." He paused, smiling at you. "Thanks for drawing me with my pal one last time... You know, I don't believe I ever got your name, Artsy." He winked at the nickname he decided to give you, and you smile.</p><p>As long as he isn't sad or going to kill you, you are perfectly okay with him calling you Artsy.</p><p>"It's (Y/N)... And you're welcome, Bendy."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You and Bendy stood for a while, not talking. You decided to just let the silence take you in, like a breathtaking embrace. You avoided Bendy's gaze, allowing time for you to think. Your mind was clouded-no doubt, you just couldn't stop the questions from buzzing in like a swarm of hornets.</p><p>
  <em>Who is Bendy, exactly?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How did Boris become like this?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Who is Joey and what did he do?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How do I get out?</em>
</p><p>A huge rumble and crash came from outside, scaring both you and Bendy. It was the type of rumble you had heard so many times you lost count. Its low sound carved its way into the establishment, and the pitter-patter of falling rain only justifies your suspicion more. The sound had been thunder. By that time, you had already begun your way towards the door when Bendy called out.</p><p>"Wait! Where are ya' going?"</p><p>You kept a steady jog as you replied, slightly out of breath.</p><p>"My friends are out there! I had come with them and somehow it's raining," you exclaimed in panic. The thunder picked up with every second, getting louder and louder each time it crashed in a skyward roar. The exit sign above the door flickered, soon fading into black letters spelling "Exit". Along with that the gears lining the walls had stopped turning and the only light coming from the projector had begun to flicker, but the square of light finally stopped, creating just a little bit of light in the building.</p><p>"Okay... Be safe kid," he paused. </p><p>His mouth opened like he was going to say something but then closed. He held up his finger as an idea seemed to pop into his head. Bendy walked over to the old cardboard cut out of himself and reached behind it, pulling out some sort of key. He walked over and placed it into your palm, closing your fingers around the cool metal object still covered in a small layer of dust.</p><p>"Here... You-... You can come back any time ya' want. Now go home," he demanded.</p><p> Bendy looked into your eyes for the shortest second before dashing down a dark hallway, too dark to decipher where he could have gone and his footsteps too light to hear. Jamming the key forcefully into the keyhole, you opened the door running out of the building before securing the key into your jacket pocket. Instantly, the wind whipped your hair every which way and the rain pelted your soft skin, stinging you slightly with every watery bullet. Your eyes darted everywhere for your friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. You called their names, in hopes that they where near, but you got nothing but a roar of thunder in return.</p><p>You were sopping wet, and your hair was separating into wet locks. You decided to just run home as fast as you could, the gravel growing wet and slippery in the rain. Lightning bolted from the sky, right towards your house. Running faster now, your lungs ached with every breath you took and your muscles were starting to grow weak. As you neared your home, you began to see red and yellow flickering in the distance. </p><p>You stopped running once you saw it.</p><p>Honestly, everything stopped; your breathing, your thoughts, and your pain. You had become numb as the rain trickled down your face, mixing with your warm tears. Not again.</p><p>
  <em>No no no no no.</em>
</p><p>You fell to the ground, the wet grass slapping against your knees. Yes, you liked that feeling. You rocked forward, your abdomen making full contact with the cool muddy earth. You closed your eyes, hoping to escape this nightmare. The firetrucks and police arrived but you stayed still, lying on the ground. The sounds of yelling and footsteps and the smell of smoke just made you tired. You wanted to give up on life, hoping that the fire would encase your small form and take you away...</p><p>All you felt before falling asleep was warm arms tuck under your upper back and under your legs, lifting you off the ground and running in a sprint.</p><p>(X)</p><p>I decided to give her the key, hoping that if she left, she would return. I don't know why, but she made me feel something I've never felt before. The things she drew for me, helping me mourn the loss of my best pal, I can't describe it. I've never had anyone or anything do that to me; not when the animators drew my posters, not when the cartoons were made, not when I hugged Boris the last time I had ever hugged him...</p><p>She definitely helped me, and that's important enough to keep her around. But I don't trust that she'll just run away like the rest of em'. I've caught many trespassers in my days, and every time I hand them the paper, nothing happens. They always scream at me and ask me strange questions. They never let me speak, all I wanted was for them to draw. Just... Draw. I always hoped that one day someone would come and bring to life characters on the paper and, hopefully, make me feel the joy that was so viciously stripped away from me that day. I always did it for him. For us. I hoped that if he were here, he would watch as they drew us together. But... No. The best drawing I've ever gotten out of someone was a panicked scribble, before I just let them go. I always hoped one of them would draw Boris, and it just so happened that she showed up on his anniversary... she actually made me laugh a genuine laugh with her drawings. </p><p>I ran down the hall; I didn't want her to leave. I decided that if I didn't see her go, she would still be there when I returned. I didn't look back as I heard the door being opened and slammed shut. I ran to the desk that I had put her drawing on and quickly snatched the paper, slightly crinkling it in the process. </p><p>
  <em>Love is important...</em>
</p><p>Before I could think, my legs began to instinctively move towards the back door and I folded the paper as small as I could and stuck in the top of my glove. I ran around the studio, the rain mixing with my ink creating black footprints into a trail following my every stride. Soon, the ink began to get too watery to be visible and as I reached the road that (Y/N) ran down, I saw nothing but the color of  her jacket turn a corner and disappear in a full sprint. I followed her, watching out for any footprints or noises I was creating. Thankfully the harsh rain and thunder had covered most of that up for me. I was still way behind her when she disappeared out of sight, but I could tell she only ran straight ahead. As I neared her house, I could see a blazing color of yellow, reds, and oranges mixing together like an oil painting. It didn't take long to realize that it was fire, and it had to be coming from her house.</p><p>Panic pierced through my chest like needles, and I saw two girls, one with a bright pink jacket and the other with a neon blue one flee the burning house. They looked afraid, ashamed, and definitely suspicious. My eyes squinted, looking through all the flames and smoke, only to hear sirens and see the red firetrucks come barreling down the long road. I looked everywhere until I found her in plain sight, lying in the fetal position on the wet grass, sobbing. I ran to her, the police advancing quickly, and picked her up. She was either asleep or had fainted, I couldn't tell. Sadly, the latter seemed most likely. Either way, I ran to the studio as fast as I could making sure that the police and firetrucks didn't see the live cartoon carrying the girl down the street. </p><p>I quickly flung open the door and ran inside, trying to be as careful as I could so I didn't hurt her. I lied her down on the floorboards and sat there. I had to completely process what had just transpired a few times before the pity sank in. I don't know what happened, but her house had burned down. That I know. She lost everything and now has nowhere to live. I slipped the drawings out of my glove and unfolded the paper carefully, and returning it to its place on the desk where it once was. I sat beside her again and attempted to dry her face off with my hand, but I didn't really make much progress.</p><p>After about fifteen minutes of thinking and wondering where she will stay, her eyes fluttered open.</p><p>"B... Bendy?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Home is Where the Heart Is</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>She lost everything and now has nowhere to live. I slipped the drawings out of my glove and unfolded the paper carefully, and returning it to its place on the desk where it once was. I sat beside her again and attempted to dry her face off with my hand, but I didn't really make much progress.</p><p>After about fifteen minutes of thinking and wondering where she will stay, her eyes fluttered open.</p><p>"B... Bendy?"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You awoke in a dark room, your eyes still adjusting to being open again. The first thing you noticed, however, was Bendy sitting beside you on the floor. His eyes were fixated on the floorboards below his feet, and his tail was calmly swishing every few seconds in mid-air. He had been thinking about something it seemed and just as he looked at you, your eyes fully opened. </p><p>"B... Bendy?"</p><p>A relieved sigh came from the demon and he smiled slightly. As the realization sank in, you began to remember the events that had previously just taken place. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't help the warm tears flowing down your cheek; they began to sting slightly as they dried. Bendy shifted slightly and looked away.</p><p>"Hey... I'm sorry about what happened kid..." He said, shifting uncomfortably on the floorboards.</p><p>You shook your head, try to shake the questions out of your mind, but they stayed. What happened to Sarah and Brittany?</p><p>Where are you going to stay?</p><p>What would your parents say?</p><p>"I'm just... I don't know..."</p><p>You sat upright and locked your arms around your knees and began to rock back and forth. You sat there repeating the same motions; back and fourth back and fourth over and over again. You jumped when Bendy snapped his fingers, saying a small "Aha!" before getting up and running through the door. Before you could react he was already gone, leaving you there. After long minutes passed, you decided to get up and look around more. Aimlessly snooping around, you found a pen. You decided to hold onto it for no actual reason; you just wanted to. You walked around the desks, looking at the old drawings that must have been sketched upon the paper years ago. In the corner of your eyes, you noticed a crumpled paper lying on one of the desks. It looked out of place like it was set there recently. As you walked over to the paper, you realized it was your drawings, but the graphite had faded and the lines were beginning to turn fuzzy. That's where the pen comes in. Sitting in the chair, you let all thoughts wander from your mind as you focused on nothing but inking the paper. You made the lines thicker in some places, accentuating certain features of each character. As you finished tracing over the cursive "Love is important" Bendy came in, huffing.</p><p>"I... I got some things for ya', Artsy." He said, noting how you were at the desk, pen in hand.</p><p>You cocked your head, and for a split second, you saw Bendy blink as if confused. It was quickly masked by his usual cartoonish smile as he waved his hand for you to come outside. The sun had gone down long ago, and the rain had let up, but it was still slightly trickling as you entered into the cold night air. Bendy had pointed to the ground, showing you an array of items that looked familiar. </p><p>"Hurry, kid! They're gonna get wet if they stay out here too long!" He said, beginning to bring in smaller items in the building, leaving the bigger ones outside.</p><p>Doing as you were told, you began to pick up smaller things, noticing that some of them were the things from your house. They were covered in black ash and reeked of it as well. The smell brought you back to your old house, and how everything you owned was drenched in the smokey scent. It was nauseating. As you walked in, Bendy had made a small pile of the items he brought in and returned outside, bumping you in the process. He jolted and scrambled out of the room and into the night as quickly as possible. You stood in the doorway bewildered for a few seconds, only to shrug off the strange action as just panic from getting bumped into so suddenly and returned to putting the things in the pile.</p><p>After nearly everything was brought in, the only thing left was the blankets and pillows. Thankfully, they had been wrapped up for storage in your closet so that is most likely how they survived. The plastic bag that had encased them was sprinkled with water droplets, and light streaks of black swirled along the edges. If the fire had been any worse, they would have been engulfed by the flames. Hauling the bag inside, your (E/C) wandered to Bendy sitting on the floor by your things, his tail swishing in delight as a smug smile danced along his features. You plopped the bag down and sat vertically from him, the pile of ashen appliances separating the two of you.</p><p>"I know I should have asked sooner when it wasn't obvious.... But... What's all this?" You said, a small smile trying to make its way onto your cheeks.</p><p>He rocked forward slightly, his smile never faltering.</p><p>"Oh, I just thought I'd see if there was anything that could be salvageable from the fire... Apparently, there was a lot. The fire, I believe, started somewhere near the edges of the house, and then that made the fire start at the walls, slowly moving inwards. I guess the firemen put it out soon enough that it didn't burn up the things in the middle as much. So that's how I found these." He said, gesturing to the pile.</p><p>After examining the things laying before you, you noticed things like clothes, a bag full of bathroom supplies (You had put that together specifically for when you had sleepovers as a little girl), your phone and charger, the blankets, and a bunch of other little trinkets and extras he must have grabbed at the last minute. One question peaked above all of them, however.</p><p>"How did you even know I needed all of this stuff? Especially my phone and charger."</p><p>His face looked blank before replying flatly, "Just because I'm a cartoon doesn't mean I don't know how life works. I know how you all need your phones, kid. As well as hygienic things, I ain't stupid."</p><p>You just stared wide-eyed for a few seconds. You actually never really thought about him being a cartoon. I mean, it was obvious he was the little guy on the posters, but how did he come to life? That was a question for another day. Well, at least he knew, right? You still couldn't help but smile slightly at the irony of the phrase: "I ain't stupid."</p><p>He looked at you suspiciously. </p><p>"What's that smile for? What did I say to make ya' smile like that?" He asked, looking playfully creeped out.</p><p>You giggled slightly, before waving your hand and saying "Oh, nothing..."</p><p>He just smiled and shook his head before the two of you were engulfed in silence.</p><p>"Oh... Well, thanks. It means a lot to me that you did this, I know for a fact I couldn't have gone to that house without having a breakdown."</p><p>He nodded, "Yeah... I know that feeling. Couldn't go in there and see Boris for weeks without falling apart." He said, nodding his head towards the room where Boris lies.</p><p>You nodded as well. At least you two have something in common. Loss. Both of you lost something important to you, and you both are still grieving together; at least you aren't alone.</p><p>He suddenly perked up, "Hey, we still gotta set up your blankets."</p><p>You cocked your head, watching as he pulled out the big fluffy quilts and laying them down in the middle of the room and folding them over. He did this with about three or four blankets until it was a nice and fluffy makeshift bed. He set the two pillows at the edge, gesturing to them before saying "Ta-daa!"</p><p>You laughed slightly and sat down on the quilts, rubbing your fingertips along the fuzzy fabric staring at the imaginary trail you were creating with your fingers.</p><p>"I guess I'm staying here, then, huh?"</p><p>He smiled and plopped beside you, his tail patting you on the back.</p><p>"Yep... I guess ya are..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Changing Emotions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You laughed slightly and sat down on the quilts, rubbing your fingertips along the fuzzy fabric staring at the imaginary trail you were creating with your fingers.</p><p>"I guess I'm staying here, then, huh?"</p><p>He smiled and plopped beside you, his tail patting you on the back.</p><p>"Yep... I guess ya are..."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You lied on your makeshift bed, tossing and turning. Bendy had left you here to sleep long ago; you have no idea where he went, though. No matter what position you lie in, it never feels comfortable enough. Once again, your mind is whirring with many thoughts, too many of which to comprehend. A loud crash sends you jolting upright, and you look around only to see nothing but darkness surrounding you. Stumbling to your feet, the floorboards felt cold under your toes. You decided to follow the sound, in hopes of finding whatever would make such a disruption. As you walked, you noticed a slight dripping noise come from one of the hallways and decided to start towards that direction. As the noise got louder and louder, you noticed you were walking down the hallway where Boris was. Fear pricked at your fingertips, making them feel numb. You had your head pointed downwards, looking at everything you could possibly bump into with your feet. Suddenly, your forehead rammed into something firm, making your head jolt upright. </p><p>Standing before you was Boris the Wolf. His eyes were nothing but black pits, dripping a dark liquid. His snout, complete with a set of jagged fangs, hung wide open with the strange inky substance leaking from it as well. You were standing in complete fear, and you tried to scream to alert Bendy; or anyone for that matter. The only thing that arose from your voice, however, was nothing but a pitiful squeak. Your voice gave up on any other sounds after that, basically rendering you mute. As soon as the noise left your throat, his huge paw clutched onto your mouth, twisting you so that your back laid against his -somehow intact- abdomen. His paw still tightly around your mouth, his other arm snaked around your neck with such force, all you could do was choke out the last bit of air inside your lungs. Your sobs couldn't be heard and the darkness was too thick to see through. So when Boris began to drag you into the room where he once lied dead, all you could do was lie still, like his little rag doll. Your breathing began to falter, having not been able to get a full breath of air since his paws were held tightly against your mouth and neck. Your shallow breaths were beginning to get shorter and shorter, your lungs begging for oxygen. Your last breath was a choked sob as you realized that this was the end, and the last thing you heard was Boris, chuckling.</p><p> </p><p>Head springing from your pillow, your breaths were short and shallow. Beads of sweat lined your forehead and your palms had become clammy. You placed your hand above your heart, feeling the fast thumps, then finally they began to slow down after a few minutes of nothing but sitting there, clutching your chest. Eventually, your breaths became consistent and your eyes adjusted to the darkness, this time feeling slightly more at ease. You noticed that the quilts around your feet felt heavy, and upon further inspection, you realized that Bendy had curled up at the foot of your bed and gone to sleep with you. You could feel the heat rushing towards your cheeks, making your entire face tingle. You don't know why, but for some reason, you felt slightly embarrassed of the fact that he had been sleeping with you. You noticed how he sort of looked like some innocent puppy, sleeping at the foot of a child's bed. He shuffled slightly, making your eyes widen as he sat up and stared at you for a few seconds, clearing his mind from any drowsiness. He blinked and looked around before turning to you again. You slightly panicked inside, knowing you had woke the demon up.</p><p>"You alright, Artsy?" He said, his voice still deep and scratchy from sleep.</p><p>You nodded with a sigh. "Yeah... Just a nightmare, that's all."</p><p>This time it was his turn to nod, and he scooted closer to you, his pinkie finger slightly grazing yours.</p><p>"Hey... It's okay... It's almost daytime anyway, and then you won't have to worry about any nightmares, got it? I'll make sure of it." He said, softly brushing a strand of (H/C) hair from your eyes.</p><p>You smiled gratefully as he lied back down, this time next to you. As your head hit the pillow, you felt his arms wrap around your waist, holding you in a protective embrace. You face was beyond red at the point, and you couldn't help but silently freak out at the position the two of you were in, but you nonetheless enjoyed it. He was the first male friend you had ever had, and you were relieved that he was being so kind to you. You remembered how afraid you were, but now... You aren't. Your shoulders relaxed and your eyelids fluttered closed; you had no nightmares the remainder of the night.</p><p>You awoke slowly, the room still dark from the lack of windows. Bendy was fast asleep behind you still, and his arm was no longer around your waist. Taking that as your chance, you slowly got up, being careful as to make as little sound as possible. You loved having time to yourself every now and then, so you tried not to wake him. You checked your phone; the time read 9:27 AM. There wasn't much for you to do, but you did find the hairbrush Bendy had salvaged for you and brushed out your messy locks. After smoothing your hair down, you noticed that in the pile of things, a bag full of old art supplies you had gotten for your birthday a few years ago lies among the other items. Picking it up, you tiptoed to one of the desks and began to sketch. You didn't realize what you were trying to draw until you ended up drawing Bendy again. You couldn't help it, he was very relaxing to draw. You took out an ink pen and started working on the line art, being sure to have a steady hand. </p><p>After finishing, you examined your progress, deciding that you would like to color it as well. Plucking a black marker from the bag, you filled in every space as much as possible, leaving the face and bow tie white. You took a light gray marker and shaded the white areas in certain places, adding more depth to the drawing. Just as you were adding your signature to the bottom of the page, you felt two warm hands lightly clasp around your shoulders, making you flinch slightly. Bendy chuckled from behind you his head lowering beside yours, getting a good look at your drawing.</p><p>"That's pretty good, Artsy. If you want, I could pose for ya'." </p><p>Your face turned a dark shade of red before squeaking out "W-what?"</p><p>He just laughed, "I could pose for you so you can draw me, kid. What did ya' think I meant?"</p><p>You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding and you felt utterly embarrassed.</p><p> "Oh... Uh, nothing. It's okay I think I'm done with drawing for now,"  </p><p>Bendy shrugged, "That's your loss. Hey, can I keep it? Your drawing, I mean."</p><p>You took it from the desk and handed it to him. You didn't realize his hands were still on your shoulders until he pulled away, taking the paper from your hands and folding it, putting in inside his glove. Your cheeks heat up slightly as his hands returned to your shoulders. Just then, a loud rumble came from your stomach making your eyes widen. Bendy chuckled.</p><p>"I guess you're gettin' hungry, huh Artsy?"</p><p>You nodded your head, thinking about what you could possibly eat to satisfy your growling stomach.</p><p>"I wish there was something I could give ya', kid, but as you can see, there's not really much you can eat in an old animation studio."</p><p>You thought for a second. "An animation studio? It took me this long to figure that out." You sighed with a smile.</p><p>Bendy poked your side, making a loud laugh rumble in your throat. He continued poking you with a smile on his face, this time with both hands, making you giggle to no end.</p><p>"Looks like Artsy's ticklish!" Bendy exclaimed, his tail swooshing in delight. </p><p>You croaked out choked giggles, begging him to stop and allow you to breathe. After he finally stopped, the both of you were laughing, out of breath. Standing up, you noticed how Bendy was actually slightly taller than you, even though he seemed so short. You walked over to your phone and turned it on, sitting on your bed. After wiping it with the hem of your shirt, you saw that you had fifty-two unread messages, all of which came from Sarah and Brittany. A slight groan escaped your mouth, knowing you had a <strong>lot </strong>of explaining to do. Quickly scrolling through the messages, you realized that most of them were along the lines of:</p><p>"Where are you?!"</p><p>"Where did you go??"</p><p>"Oh, God, please answer us,  (Y/N)!!"</p><p>You couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for making them worry so much, so you texted them both on a group message.</p><p>"Sarah, I'm coming over to your house. Brittany, I expect to see you there too."</p><p>Pressing send, Bendy plopped down beside you, looking at your texts. Before you could turn your phone away he had already begun to look worried.</p><p>"You going to Sarah's house? Who's that? Are you leaving me? Will you come back?" He asked all at once, each question quickly following the other.</p><p>You looked bewildered at how strange Bendy just acted. His face looked sad and panicked, and you just put your hand on top of his, just to reassure him.</p><p>"I'm coming back, Bendy. I just need to explain what happened to Sarah and Brittany."</p><p>He nodded. "I saw two girls running from your house yesterday when I followed you-"</p><p>You cut him off. "You followed me?"</p><p>He smiled nervously before putting his hands up in surrender.</p><p>"I only followed you because I thought that you weren't coming back, so I just..."</p><p>You silenced him by putting up your finger. "It's okay Bendy... At least you were there for me."</p><p>He smiled slightly.</p><p>"Also, Sarah is the blonde and Brittany is the dark haired girl. I promise I'll be back, but..."</p><p>You eyed the fresh stack of clothes that probably smelled of smoke.</p><p>"I may be a bit longer because I want to freshen up a bit. You know... Bathe."</p><p>His eyes slightly widened but he tried to hide it with a smile. You got up, grabbing your needed things and heading out of the dark studio.</p><p>"Bye, Bendy," you waved.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>(X)</p><p>*Warning: this chapter has slight profanity*</p><p>(X)</p><p>Also, Sarah is the blonde and Brittany is the dark haired girl. I promise I'll be back, but..."</p><p>You eyed the fresh stack of clothes that probably smelled of smoke.</p><p>"I may be a bit longer because I want to freshen up a bit. You know... Bathe."</p><p>His eyes slightly widened but he tried to hide it with a smile. You got up, grabbing your needed things and heading out of the dark studio.</p><p>"Bye, Bendy," you waved.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You walked out of the studio, the sun hitting your skin. Luckily you remembered the shortcut to Sarah's house, so you were there in about five minutes. Upon walking up to the door, you noticed Sarah standing outside with Brittany, their faces covered in complete worry. As soon as they saw you, though, they both looked instantly relieved, running towards you. Both of the girls captured you in a bone-crushing hug, and you let them. It felt nice to embrace someone, to just let someone else hold you upright. It wasn't until you heard sniffles that <em>you</em> decided to embrace <em> them</em>, attempting to wrap your arms around both of the girls.</p><p>"I'm so glad you're okay... So glad..." Sarah said, trying to hide her wet cheeks. </p><p>Brittany nodded, digging the heel of her palms into her eyes, drying them from tears. Sarah nodded her head towards the left and Brittany started walking, you following behind them, slightly confused. Her house was next to a small wooded area, and they both led you through it. Eventually, the three of you had ended up in a small clearing. You crowded around one another, sitting on the soft grass, the trees shading you from any sun. Sarah was the first to break the silence.</p><p>"Sorry about the hug and all... We've been so worried about you. Especially after what we saw..." Brittany said, her head hanging low.</p><p>You just looked at the two girls bewildered and blinking.</p><p>"Wait... What did you see? What happened?" You warily inquired.</p><p>They both stayed silent, looking from each other's eyes and back to yours, a terrified expression on both of their features. Sarah sighed.</p><p>"This is a long story... So get comfy."</p><p>(X)</p><p>Brittany and I stood outside of the strange building, taking in every bit of information we could. I noted how dirty the brick was, to how the rotten wood had split at the edges. (Y/N) had just walked in, and we both were waiting for her to return. We stood there for a good while until Brittany tapped my arm. Turning around, I noticed her trying to mouth words to me, being as quiet as possible. I didn't understand at first, but when I heard the crunching noises coming from behind the building, I knew where she was getting at. Her face looked worried as she waved her hand for me to follow, and we crouched down, slowly walking towards the crunching sound. After making it to the back of the building, we stayed close to the side walls, being sure to hide as much as possible. The crunching stopped.</p><p>Taking her chance, Brittany slowly walked fully around the corner of the building gently approaching whatever the sound was coming from. Brittany stood there for a few seconds before suddenly jolting back, slamming against the wall. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was hanging slightly agape.</p><p>"What? What did you see?" I whispered as panic pricked at my chest.</p><p>Her breaths were shallow. "I... I saw a man. He was standing right behind the back door, and he had a bunch of black all over him. His face, his clothes, everything was covered in this weird black stuff. He was staring right at me; he saw us. Sarah, believe me when I say this, but we need to go. Now."</p><p>The urgency in her voice told me that it wasn't worth it to try and get a glimpse of the man myself. It also told me that it wasn't just one of her stupid pranks that she often pulls. We tiptoed back to the front of the building, the sky growing darker and darker every minute. It will definitely rain soon; maybe even storm. As soon as we were far enough away, we ran; we both forgot about (Y/N) and just ran. My conscience told me to look back, and when I did, I noticed that the door had closed. I know we left it open. </p><p>We sprinted at full speed, our muscles aching. Brittany was running faster than me, I presume the sight of the strange man filling her with adrenaline. Finally, we had made it back to (Y/N)'s house and hurried inside as quick as possible. I didn't even bother on closing the door. I headed over towards the counter, leaning on it wheezing while watching Brittany pace back and forth. </p><p>"How could we have left her there?" Brittany asked angrily.</p><p>I just looked confused. "Don't get mad at me! What, did you want me to just risk my life and go into the building where this potential murderer might be in? You were the one who started running in the first place!" I said, anger bubbling within me.</p><p>Brittany rolled her eyes, "You don't get it do you? I bet (Y/N) would have saved your sorry ass if you were in a building like that. And besides, risking your life is what friends <em>do."</em> She said, venom seeping from every word.</p><p>I slammed my palms against the counter, catching her attention instantly.</p><p>"Don't talk to me about "True Friendship" when I sure as hell didn't see you running in there to save her either. And, for your information, after <em>you</em> went running down the road, I noticed that the door had shut anyway. We couldn't have gotten in." As the last sentence left my mouth, I realized what that meant. Whoever was out there must have gotten in. They were in the same room as (Y/N) as we speak.</p><p>Brittany's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me that! She could be <strong><em>dead</em></strong> right now, Sarah. We could have literally sent her to her death and didn't even save her when we had the chance! This is insane, you're insane," she said, running her palm along her forehead and into her dark hair. Her footsteps echoed throughout the silent room as she continued to pace. </p><p>I can't believe we were arguing in the first place, we both agreed on the situation at hand; we just had different outlooks on each other's actions. I want to apologize, I need someone on my side right now. All I can sense is panic and fear; the air is just thick with it, making it hard to breathe. <em>It's okay. She can't be dead. </em>I tell myself, but if I were honest, I'm not sure if she's alive or not. I was about to say something until a loud crash echoed from the sky, and soon the rain came pouring down. I was right; it was going to storm. Brittany stopped, looking outside the screen door. A small period of silence came, soon being followed by a bolt of lightning that looked terrifyingly close. Just then, the lights flickered and the whole house went black. The only light we had was coming from the pitch black sky, which was littered with small lightning bolts.</p><p>"Great..." Brittany sighed.</p><p>I thought for a second, "Hold on, I think... I know where a kerosene lamp is." I said, feeling around for the cabinet under the counter. </p><p>I felt around various cleaning supplies and old pieces of cloth before coming across a big glass structure.</p><p>"Okay, I got it. I'm pretty sure it's already got some kerosene inside." </p><p>Brittany sighed, relieved. She made her way over to the opposite side of the counter as I plopped the lamp down, creating a small thud. After igniting the lamp, the room was covered in a small yellowish glow. The room was silent again, the only noise coming from the raging storm outside. I sat there staring at the flame until a small "Tink Tink" noise came from the screen door, and Brittany and I turned towards it.</p><p>There, standing on the porch, was the man. Instantly Brittany tensed, a sharp gasp coming from her throat. Now I understand why she had been so scared before. I could hardly see his face, but the lamp's light made it look as if his eyes were pits of black, and cast long shadows along his face. The black substance he was covered in was smeared along his clothes, staining them permanently; no rain could wash it off. He looked old and tall and had unsightly stubble along his jaw. His gloved hand tapped the glass again, and Brittany's hands slammed on the counter, making the lamp fall to the ground.</p><p>"<em><strong>Go away!</strong></em>" She screamed, my ears tingling.</p><p>She shouted with such force as she grabbed her cell phone.</p><p>"<em><strong>Who are you?</strong></em> "</p><p>Calling 911, her hand gripped my wrist so strong it began to hurt, nearly bruising me. She jerked me forwards and kicked the screen door, making the guy stumble backward and fall off the stairs. I still couldn't comprehend why he was here in the first place, he must have followed us. He looked up, his eyes fixed on something behind us, and scrambled down the street. At least that means that if the man is here, he's not with (Y/N). Brittany urgently talked to the police, the thunder and lightning making the reception poor. I coughed, noticing how thick the air had gotten and how hot it was too. I looked back and all I could see were flames. Somehow the lamp caught fire and inflamed everything else around it, causing the house to catch fire. The lump in my throat hardened, just making it all the more difficult to breathe.</p><p>I clutched Brittany's arm and jerked her towards my direction so she could see the flames, and she screeched.</p><p>"Please! Hurry! There is a fire, the lamp caught on fire something is on fire! I need help!" She said, rambling in fear.</p><p>My hand was still on her wrist, and I pulled her out of the house. I hadn't noticed how long she was on the phone with the police until they showed up. I saw the lights flickering in the distance and urged Brittany to run. We ran out of the house and down the street, Brittany ended the call. We ran into my house, the police and firemen surrounding (Y/N)'s. As we made it into my room, I locked the door and slid to the ground, hot tears rolling from my cheeks. At this point, whatever Brittany was doing was a blur. For all I could think was: <em>No no no no.</em></p><p>I sobbed and sobbed.</p><p>(X)</p><p>You sat there in the clearing in silence as Sarah told you every detail of what transpired that night. You know how the house caught fire, and you realized that a man was standing outside of the building you were locked in. How could they not have saved you? They left you. <em>They didn't want to leave me, </em>you thought. <em>They were afraid. Just like I was. </em></p><p>"After that... Our parents found out, and they didn't react well. They don't know about Brittany making the lamp fall, we left out that part. They started lecturing us, and now they'll probably never let us forget what we did that night either. The police soon cleared your house and surrounded it in yellow tape. Other than that, I don't know what ever became of the strange man..."</p><p>You sighed, looking at the ground and grazing your fingers along the grass.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"We're sorry, (Y/N)," Brittany said.</p><p>"It's okay..."</p><p>You all remained there, taking in every little noise of the outside.</p><p>"Sarah... Is it okay if I use your shower? I don't really have anywhere else to get clean."</p><p>Sarah nodded as you all walked out of the clearing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Truth Pt. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"We're sorry, (Y/N)," Brittany said.</p><p>"It's okay..."</p><p>You all remained there, taking in every little noise of the outside.</p><p>"Sarah... Is it okay if I use your shower? I don't really have anywhere else to get clean."</p><p>Sarah nodded as you all walked out of the clearing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sarah showed you to the shower, handing you a towel in the process. Before closing the door Sarah told you that they would be outside in the clearing again and you nodded. Locking the door, you turned on the shower, allowing it to get the desired temperature. You set your dirty clothes on the counter top, folded neatly. As you stepped in, you breathed in the warm steam and allowed your muscles to relax. You had slight dirt smudges on your knees and ink on your hands from drawing with markers. The water draining at your feet tinted was a slight brown as all of the dirt finally washed off. You already began to feel more refreshed, and you massaged shampoo into your scalp and hair, cleansing your (H/C) locks. </p><p>After you were done washing off, you rubbed your face, making sure every bit of dirt and dried tears were completely cleansed from your cheeks. You sat there, taking in all of the warmth from the water as you could. Allowing you to relax, your mind traveled to Bendy; you wondered what he was doing right now. You wondered if it would be okay to bring your friends over to meet him. It would be more believable if they saw him themselves, and they wouldn't think you'd gone crazy ever since the fire. Would Bendy freak out if he saw them? Would Sarah and Brittany freak out if <em>they </em>saw<em> him</em>? You would have to talk to him first, maybe then he'd be okay with it. You turned off the water and took the towel to dry off, putting on the set fresh clothes that slightly smelled of smoke. After brushing out your wet hair, you slipped on your jacket and made your way outside. After walking into the clearing, you sat down and both girls turned to you.</p><p>"Okay... I think it's about time I told you my story... But first, I want you to follow me," You said, getting up and heading out of the clearing. They followed you, questioning looks on their faces. You took the shortcut back to the studio, and Sarah jogged to keep up with you.</p><p>"(Y/N), why are you going back here? Don't you know it's not safe-"</p><p>You shushed her. "Stay here, I'll be back."</p><p>They did as they were told and you walked up to the door, taking the key Bendy had given you from your jacket pocket and sliding it into the keyhole. Upon entering, you saw Bendy sitting on your bed, a bored expression on his face. You smiled, a questioning look on your face.</p><p>"Uh, what did you do while I was gone?" You said, sitting next to him.</p><p>His eyes drifted to yours, and his face perked up slightly.</p><p>"I waited for you to get back, duh."</p><p>You laughed and shook your head. His tail started swooshing and he just looked at you for a second before turning away.</p><p>"Bendy, I hope you don't mind but... I brought Sarah and Brittany here so I could tell them what happened to me yesterday..." You said nervously.</p><p>Bendy tensed, turning to face you with a fake smile.</p><p>"Why did you bring them?" He said through his teeth.</p><p>You leaned back, your eyes widening.</p><p>"I just wanted them to see you, if I told them, they'd think I was crazy. And besides, they said they saw some strange man outside behind the building with black stuff all over him. I don't know, I thought you could help us investigate..."</p><p>He stayed silent, his eyes locked onto yours.</p><p>"They... Saw a man covered in black?" His voice was low, and his entire demeanor had changed instantly.</p><p>You backed away, standing up off of the bed and towards the door, Bendy following suit. Soon, you were sandwiched between the demon and the door, fear welling in your chest. His eyes were locked onto yours, and you could see them slant in anger.</p><p>"I knew he'd show up. Yesterday would be a given, since it..." His voice wavered, and his eyes closed.</p><p>His gloved hand gripped your wrist, tight, but not enough to actually hurt you.</p><p>"Tell them to come in and tell me every. Single. Detail." He said, his eyes opening on the last word.</p><p>You nodded frantically, and he let go of your wrist as you scrambled through the door. Sarah and Brittany were sitting at the edge of the gravel road, picking at the grass with their heads rested in their palms.</p><p>"Okay... I want you to come inside, but don't freak out, okay?" You said, trying not to sound scared yourself.</p><p>They silently followed you to the door and you took a deep breath. <em>Please let no one die, please let no one die.</em> You opened the door and walked into the dimly lit room, Sarah and Brittany filing in after you. Bendy was nowhere in sight and you sat on your bed ushering the two girls over, to which they plopped down in front of you. </p><p>Brittany looked around, confused, "So... You decided to live here alone? You know you could have stayed with me righ-"</p><p>"She's not alone." Bendy cut her off, standing behind the two girls. You didn't even notice him get here, he always had a thing for appearing in strange places at strange times. Sarah and Brittany's shoulders tensed, and Bendy walked around the two girls, plopping down next to you; maybe even slightly too close, especially since you were a little bit angry at him for scaring you earlier. You nervously laughed, scratching your neck nervously.</p><p>"Brittany, Sarah, this is Bendy. Bendy, this is Brittany and Sarah..." You shakily said, pointing at each person when you called their names. You noticed how Bendy looked at them, a judging look on his face as your two friends sat frozen in fear.</p><p>"These are your friends, huh, Artsy?" He said, nodding towards them.</p><p>You hummed in response. He held out his cartoonish gloved hand and each girl took it, cringing slightly.</p><p>"So... You two girls told Artsy here you saw a man... Can you tell me more about that?" He gestured to you when he called your nickname, and their faces softened slightly before nodding.</p><p>Brittany was the first to start, her voice wavering, she began to tell the story exactly as Sarah told it to me but giving slightly more detail about the man's features. She went on about how he looked gruff as if he'd been through a lot in his lifetime. She said his hair was thin, dark brown, and had streaks of gray scattered throughout it. She mentioned how his arms were small and weak, and he looked almost malnourished, all while Bendy was nodding and humming at every other sentence that came from her mouth. She talked about how he must have followed them to my house, and how easy it was to knock him down the front steps. Bendy chuckled slightly at that. <em>I get the feeling he knows who the man was</em>, you thought.</p><p>As Brittany finished the story, Bendy nodded.</p><p>"I think I know what he wants," He said, his eyes dark.</p><p>"I think it's time I shed a little backstory on all three of you." He said, his tail flicking slightly at the very tip.</p><p>(X)</p><p>I was looking for Boris, I was just roaming around having fun. I looked around the dusty corners and dark hallways, but I found nothing. The silence was unnerving.</p><p>"Come on, pal! I know you're around here somewhere!" I awaited an answer.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p><em>That's odd, he always shows up right about now. </em>I shrugged off the feeling, starting down the hallway when I heard a clank come from the opposite direction. Jolting, I sprinted towards the sound, and then I saw it. The sight that would change my life forever. Boris, dead, and Joey standing next to him, gloves on his hands and a scowl on his face. I stood, frozen with emotions. I started backing away slowly and he turned towards me. From this angle, I could see his face and clothes, splattered with ink.</p><p>"H-how... How could you...?"</p><p>My face felt heavy and wet, I wiped my eyes and black ink stained them when I pulled away. </p><p>"<em><strong>How could you!</strong></em>" I screamed, tackling him.</p><p>I screamed as I grabbed him by the neck, choking him. Even though I was strong, I was still a cartoon; a weak one at that. More of my ink dripped around us and he managed to throw me off, standing above me, his shadow cast dark around my smaller form.</p><p>"I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, Bendy," His voice was cold and scratchy, holding no emotion.</p><p>"You <strong><em>LIAR!</em></strong>" I screamed; I couldn't move, my ink was enabling me to do so.</p><p>"I'll.... <strong>I'LL KILL YOU! </strong>I'll bring him back to life! I swear-" </p><p>He shook his head, "The only way to do that is a direct illustration. You know this stuff, Bendy, and without me to draw your little "Pal" anymore, that's not going to happen." </p><p>His eyes were dark, and my vision was clouded with black. I can't believe he would do that. What happened to Henry? How <em>did </em> he bring me to life? Can I actually save Boris?</p><p>
  <em>A direct illustration...</em>
</p><p>I'd have to get someone to draw Boris. But who? The ink machine has something to do with this, I know. But other than that, I'm lost.</p><p>Joey stomped out of the room, leaving a clear view of Boris in front of me. The ink that was leaking from me grew stronger now, and as I cried, the floor grew a small puddle of black.</p><p>
  <em>I'll bring him to life.</em>
</p><p>(X)</p><p>Bendy sighed and turned his head towards you.</p><p>"So... Ever since then, whenever some idiot would come roaming in, I'd show Boris to them. Hoping silently that they would draw him. I didn't speak, I just handed them a pencil and paper and hoped for the best. And then (Y/N) came along."</p><p>He got up, going to a desk and picking up a piece of paper. He showed it to my friends, looking over the drawings with them.</p><p>"Then... I let her leave. I originally locked the door, but I gave her a spare key. With it, she left and I followed her. When I noticed her house burning down, I took her back here. And now she kinda stays with me..."</p><p> Sarah looked confused.</p><p>"So... Bendy... I'm assuming the man we saw was Joey, right? You said you know what he wants, so what <em>does</em> he want?"</p><p>Bendy sat for a second, thinking over his answer.</p><p>"Well... He wants either me or Henry. Without me, there's no bringing Boris to life; I'm the only one who knows how to do it. Without Henry, I can't get an 'illustration' or... whatever Joey mentioned. All I know is that he's gotta stop."</p><p>Sarah nodded, but you hardly listened, your own thoughts prickling at your mind.</p><p>So that was why he wanted you to draw. You began to wonder what would have happened if you didn't draw Boris. What if you drew something else?</p><p>
  <em>He would have killed you.</em>
</p><p>You shake the thought from your head; he would never kill you. </p><p>
  <em>He's a demon. He already almost killed you once.</em>
</p><p>I can't think straight. The voice is lying to me, I know it.</p><p>
  <em>He's just using you to bring back his friend. Then once that happens, he has no use for you. And the only way to make you not run your mouth to everyone you see is by-</em>
</p><p><em>"</em>You alright, Artsy?"</p><p>You snapped out of your daze and nodded, getting up.</p><p>"Yeah... Sarah, Brittany, I think you should be heading home now. Text me when you get home, okay? It's getting pretty late..." You said, opening the door.</p><p>They got up and filed out of the studio, and you zipped your mouth shut using your fingers, indicating for them to keep all of this newfound information a secret. You closed the door with a sigh and stared at the chipped paint. Your thoughts were scattered, and that little doubt in the back of your head held a good point.</p><p>What if he does get rid of you?</p><p>  You felt warm arms wrap around your waist, making you jump slightly.</p><p>"You smell nice..." Bendy said quietly, putting his chin on your shoulder.</p><p>You went rigid; he's never acted this way before. Your cheeks were hot, and you didn't know how to respond without acting like a helpless animal afraid of its predator.</p><p>"I-I know... I took a shower at Sarah's, remember?"</p><p>Bendy only hummed and began to sway slightly. His tail brushed your leg as he twisted you around, grabbing your hand in his. He hummed louder to a song you've never heard before, and you both began to dance and twirl around the studio. You smiled as Bendy's cartoon eyes moved toward's yours. He chuckled and he picked you up, twirling you in a circle, making a loud laugh erupt from your throat. The both of you laughed and continued to dance.</p><p>Still, as all of this was happening, you couldn't help but think: <em>Would he really get rid of me once he brings Boris back?</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Catching Feelings?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He hummed louder to a song you've never heard before, and you both began to dance and twirl around the studio. You smiled as Bendy's cartoon eyes moved toward's yours. He chuckled and he picked you up, twirling you in a circle, making a loud laugh erupt from your throat. The both of you laughed and continued to dance.</p><p>Still, as all of this was happening, you couldn't help but think: Would he really get rid of me once he brings Boris back?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After the two of you finished your little "dancing session" you decided to check your phone, sitting at one of the desks to do so. Turning on the screen, you had two messages from Sarah and Brittany telling you that they made it home safely. <em>That's good... </em>You thought.</p><p>On the screen, you could see that Sarah was typing something.</p><p>
  <strong>"So... Artsy, huh? What kind of name is that?"</strong>
</p><p>You smiled, your fingers lightly tapping on the screen.</p><p>
  <em>"It's a nickname, don't worry about it."</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>"A nickname? Jeez (Y/N), you two are getting close. Are you going to be coming to me asking for dating advice for a cartoon?"</strong>
</p><p>You scoffed aloud.</p><p>
  <em>"That's ridiculous. And impossible."</em>
</p><p>You awaited a response for about a minute, idly staring at the floor before your phone vibrated.</p><p>
  <strong>"Say what you will, but don't think I didn't notice how close he was sitting to you."</strong>
</p><p>You were irritated, yes, but you couldn't help but let a small laugh emit from your chest.</p><p>
  <strong>"You know I'm just teasing you, right?"</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>"Of course I do, you'd think I would have gotten used to it now."</em>
</p><p>You turned off your phone, getting up and tossing it onto your quilt bed. You looked around; Bendy must have disappeared again. Just then, your stomach rumbled loudly, and you silently cursed to yourself. You had forgotten about being hungry, and you hadn't eaten in ages. You got up, opening the door, letting the dim light spread throughout the room. The orange hue of the setting sun on the horizon cast golden rays onto your face, and you lifted your hand to your forehead for shade. Walking back to your phone, you picked it up, calling Sarah.</p><p>It rang for a few seconds.</p><p>"Hey," she said.</p><p>You sighed.</p><p>"Um... I've got the tiniest problem..."</p><p>She hesitated before answering, "What is it...?"</p><p>You sheepishly laughed. "Well... I'm really hungry and I forgot to eat."</p><p>Sarah laughed, "Of course you did. Well... I'm really bored so maybe I could go get something and bring it over? Only if your boyfriend doesn't mind..."</p><p>You rolled your eyes.</p><p>"Okay, and no. He is <strong>not </strong>my boyfriend."</p><p>Sarah giggled maniacally through the phone, "Ohh sureee... Anyways, I'll be there in a few."</p><p>And with that, she hung up. You tossed your phone back to the bed.</p><p>Still standing in the doorway staring at the setting sun, you jumped when you heard a voice right behind you.</p><p>"Who isn't your boyfriend?"</p><p>There he goes, appearing in strange places at strange times. You merely shook your head.</p><p>"Nobody, like I said."</p><p>He just clicked his tongue.</p><p>"Nuh uh, I heard you say <strong>he </strong>isn't your boyfriend," he said, his voice now closer than before.</p><p> You turned around, facing the cocky little demon with an annoyed yet flushed face. He smirked, making you even angrier. That was supposed to intimidate him; it didn't work. Rolling your eyes, your weight shifted to your left hip, and you crossed your arms.</p><p>"Yeah.. whatever you say, Inky. By the way, Sarah is bringing food. I'm starving." </p><p>Bendy averted his eyes at his nickname, "Yeah... Whatever, Artsy."</p><p>You turned towards the sun again and sat down in the doorway. The heat felt nice against your skin and the fresh air filled your lungs as you inhaled. You traced shapes along the ground idly with your index finger and Bendy sat next to you.</p><p>"Ya know," he started, his tail brushing against your back.</p><p>"I'm glad I have someone to keep me company. Especially after... You know..."</p><p>You hummed in agreement.</p><p>"I'm glad to have someone to help me get through everything that has happened to me," you said, closing your eyes.</p><p>His tail was now pressed flush against your back, and you felt a gloved finger slowly wrap around yours. You stayed there, letting his hand slowly encase yours until you heard a shout, your eyes snapping open. Sarah's neon pink jacket wasn't hard to spot and you ripped your hand away from Bendy's. She was far away enough to hear, but not fully see. Maybe she didn't see you and Bendy.</p><p>"Sarah has come to the rescue!" She exclaimed, proudly lifting up two small bags of takeout. It wasn't your favorite, but it will definitely do. By the time Sarah made it to the door, Bendy had disappeared again, leaving only you and Sarah once again. She plopped beside you, handing you a bag and a drink. She took out her food and began eating it while looking at the twilight sky. You followed suit, and every bite felt rewarding from having not eaten in so long.</p><p>"So," Sarah said, taking a swig of her drink.</p><p>"What do you think your parents are going to say when they find out?"</p><p>You paused, you didn't really think about them. Quite frankly, you weren't really looking forwards to having to explain everything to your mother and father.</p><p>"I don't know... I have no idea..."</p><p>She shrugged, "I guess I'd just lay low for now."</p><p>You nodded in agreement. You two sat there, watching nearly all of the light fade from the sun, and a yawn escaped your mouth. Sarah stood up, offering a hand to help you. Taking her offer, she took your trash and wadded it up in her hands, holding both drinks in her arms.</p><p>"Um, I think there is a trash can somewhere in here," you said, pointing inside the studio.</p><p>Sarah sighed, relieved, "Okay good. Cuz' I wasn't about to leave and walk all the way home with all this crap."</p><p>You laughed and took the trash from her hands, leaving her with her unfinished drink. You walked in and found a small trash can and tossed the scraps in it, already feeling better after eating.</p><p>Sarah waved, already making her way to her house before calling out, "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow morning, alright? I'll bring Brittany. It's not like I have anything better to do," she snorted.</p><p>You waved back, "Okay, sounds great- Bring breakfast!"</p><p>She laughed, walking backward.</p><p>"You betcha' I will!" She exclaimed, barely audible before walking out of distance.</p><p>You closed the door after walking into the studio, the dusty smell pricking at your nose. You stood there, now slightly bored with no one to talk to.</p><p>"Gee, she sure likes coming here doesn't she?" Bendy asked, walking from down a hallway and leaning against the wall.</p><p>You looked into his eyes, an annoyed look on your face.</p><p>"I'll have you know, Bendy, I invited her over. I told you that. Right before she showed up." Your voice was flat.</p><p>He shrugged his shoulders and walked to your bed, sitting on it casually. Another yawn escaped your mouth as you eyed the fluffy blankets. Before you could think, your legs moved you towards it, yawning yet again. Stress has really had it out for you lately. You curled up, pulling the blankets around your form once lying on the bed, not even caring to change into more comfortable clothes for sleeping; you felt suitable enough to sleep anyway.</p><p>Your eyelids grew heavy, and the last thing you heard was Bendy's shuffling as he curled up at the end of the bed before falling into a deep slumber.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Doubt...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You curled up, pulling the blankets around your form once lying on the bed, not even caring to change into more comfortable clothes for sleeping; you felt suitable enough to sleep anyway.</p><p>Your eyelids grew heavy, and the last thing you heard was Bendy's shuffling as he curled up at the end of the bed before falling into a deep slumber.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That night you dreamed that you were roaming the halls of the studio, looking for something. Everything was hazy, so you didn't necessarily know what you were looking for. Ink splattered every which way, and the words "Dreams Come True" was painted along one wall. You coughed, the dust filling your lungs. You eyed the words along the wall, fear beginning to bubble within you. Finally moving forward, you found yourself in a room with three pedestals lining both walls. Six in all. Various items were suspended above them somehow, and an eerie darkness spread throughout your vision. Your vision flashed, and the next thing you knew, you were flipping a giant switch, a great feeling of fear suddenly overcoming you. You can't remember when the panic started, but it did. You were running along the halls away from the giant switch when you ran into the ink machine room. It was boarded up, and your vision was beginning to get darker. You neared the planks guarding the door, your entire body shaking. The next thing you saw was Bendy, but it wasn't bendy. He was covered in ink, and his face and body were melting along with it. You screamed, unable to tear your eyes from the scene before you. Ink covered the floors, as you ran. Your lungs burned, you nearly slipped on the ink surrounding your feet.</p><p>
  <em>There's the exit. I'm so close...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(X)</em>
</p><p>You jolt up, sitting on your bed, heart racing and your thoughts still. You couldn't tell what time it was, but the sleeping form at your feet told you it must be nighttime. You sat there shaking. A deep breath in helped you collect your thoughts and you closed your eyes. You brought your knees to your chest and try to relax, but the images of Bendy engraved in your mind made it immensely difficult. You can't help but get the feeling that, even though you're happy here, something very wrong is happening behind the scenes. You don't know if it has something to do with Bendy, that Joey guy, or even Boris for that matter. All you know is that whatever it is, it needs to be stopped. You lie down, trying to get the bad thoughts to clear from your mind but it's no use. You stay there; it felt like an eternity before drowsiness began to slowly settle in.</p><p>You eventually fall asleep.</p><p>When you awake, Bendy is nowhere to be seen and the door has been opened, letting the morning light pour into the building. Leaning over and checking your phone, you noticed that you had awoken fairly early, for the time read 6:32 AM. You look outside, the light was rather dim and a slight breeze was flowing through your hair as your bed was sitting directly in the wind's direction. You heard a slight tapping come from one of the hallways, soon realizing that it was Bendy.</p><p>"Nice to see you're awake." He said, leaning at the edge of the hall.</p><p>You pushed your palms through your messy hair, trying hard to flatten it as best as you could. You hummed as a reply and stood up, stretching your once idle muscles. You stood there, watching as the demon walked towards you, a strange look on his face. You cocked your head to the side and Bendy looks away quickly, making you feel odd. He was standing in front of you now, and you stood there patiently as Bendy stared at his feet. </p><p>"Uh... Are you okay Bend-" You started, but Bendy started talking.</p><p>"Um, I was wondering if-" He spoke quietly, but the ding from your phone cut him off.</p><p>You decided not to check it and instead stood there, waiting for him to finish his sentence. His eyes darkened, and your breath hitched in your throat. His face contorted and he looked very angry. The look on his face reminded you of your nightmare, and you stepped back. The anger drained slightly from his face as a deep sigh escaped his chest as he turned away abruptly, stomping down one of the hallways as his tail flicked slightly in anger. You stood still, the shock enabling you from moving. You couldn't help but think it was something you did.</p><p><em>Maybe he could tell I was scared, </em>You thought.</p><p>A slight pang of hurt pricked at your chest, you didn't mean to anger him. With every passing second, your thoughts got darker and darker, each one worse than the rest.</p><p>
  <em>He hates you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's using you to get his friend back.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He'll kill you.</em>
</p><p>As the thoughts came, you didn't turn them down immediately. For a second, you began to believe them. Maybe he was just using you. He's got you wrapped around his finger, and he could easily stab you in the back. He's a demon, it's what they do after all. </p><p>Another ding erupted from your phone.</p><p>You snapped out of your sulky daze and checked it, seeing a text from both Sarah and Brittany.</p><p>Sarah: "Hey, I'm on my way. I've got breakfast and I'm going to get Brittany now."</p><p>The next text was sent a few minutes later.</p><p>Brittany: "Be outside, were almost there and we are NOT going in. Sorry."</p><p>You tossed your phone aside, and brushed through your (H/C) locks quickly and opened the door. Upon opening it, you immediately spotted Sarah and Brittany sitting at the edge of the gravel road, waving you over. Jogging to them, Sarah handed you your food, the two girls already having started eating. Brittany sighed.</p><p>"So... I haven't seen much of that guy lately... I wonder where he ran off to that night." She asked, lazily.</p><p>Your eyebrows knitted, the thought peaking at your interest. That's a good question. Where <em>did </em>he go? Will he ever come back? You secretly hoped he did, so you could see him for yourself. Maybe even try to get to the bottom of this whole "Boris" thing. You took a swig from your drink and looked up at the clouds, hearing the morning birds chirping in the distance. So much has happened in the past few days, you wished you could just have an escape from it all. Even if it was only for a brief moment, it would be better than all of the pain you were going through now.</p><p>"You know," You started reluctantly. </p><p>"I had a nightmare last night. I somehow turned on the ink machine..."</p><p>Sarah and Brittany looked at you, their faces filled with confusion.</p><p>"Ink.... Machine?" Brittany inquired.</p><p>A deep sigh escaped your throat.</p><p>"Yeah about that.... When I first met Bendy, he took me through the halls of the studio. I remember passing a room with this weird contraption in it, and the words labeled "Ink Machine" above the door frame. I would have asked about it, but I was too afraid, obviously."</p><p>The two girls nodded in agreement and continued eating.</p><p>"Anyways, in the dream, I had somehow activated it. And... I can't really remember much after that. All I know is that the last thing I saw was Bendy, his entire body melting like some sort of wax. It was terrifying," you took another bite of your breakfast.</p><p>Sarah raised her eyebrows.</p><p>"Damn," she said quietly.</p><p>You nodded in confirmation. Brittany sighed and leaned back against the grass, exhaling as she did so. You followed suit, your back against the dewy morning grass. You two looked at the clouds, pointing out shapes and sceneries. Sarah hadn't finished eating yet, but soon, she was done as well. She gathered the trash, and put it in a bag she had brought and audibly sighed.</p><p>"Well, I guess we should be going," Brittany said, sitting up.</p><p>"Yeah... We've got somewhere to be." Sarah said, holding out her hand to help you up. You eyed them but nonetheless waved to them as they began walking away, in a direction you've never seen them go down. Maybe you should have asked to go with them, you aren't really looking forward to having to see Bendy. But, alas, you merely watched as their walking forms faded into the distance. After returning inside, you left the door open, still enjoying the sunlight. You made your way over to one of the desks, and after looking around for a while, you found a pencil, the end having dulled to a round point. You mindlessly sketched, just thinking about random things as you did so, it was your way of relaxing. </p><p>"I'm sorry, (Y/N)..."</p><p>The pencil stopped moving, and you stared at the empty circle you had created before turning towards the voice. Bendy stood behind you, looking at the floor, his eyes slanted in a saddened expression. His tail was between his legs, lying still. You noticed how he used your real name, and not Artsy.</p><p>
  <em>Why was he apologizing? </em>
</p><p>Before you could respond he looked up, and black streams lined his cheeks. Gushes of guilt flooded throughout you, and your cheeks grew hot as tears pricked your eyes like pin needles. You choke back tears and got up, facing the demon. You pulled his chin up, his eyes were locked onto yours.</p><p>"Listen, Bendy... I was the one to make you angry. I should be apologizing."</p><p>He shook his head violently, making you pull your hand back.</p><p>"No, it wasn't you! I'm- I'm sorry for making you ever think for a second that it was ever you... I was just..." He paused, catching his breath.</p><p>"I was just jealous of your friends, that's all."</p><p>Your eyes widened in surprise, why would he be jealous? You actually thought he quite liked the alone time, if you were completely honest.</p><p>"I just wanted to spend more time with you," he stated quietly, sounding defeated.</p><p>Your hands dropped to your sides, and your index finger and thumb fiddled with the hem of your shirt idly. You smiled weakly, and he looked into your (E/C) eyes, glassy with tears.</p><p>"Okay, Bendy... How about this. Tomorrow, it'll be just you and me. We'll spend all day together, and I'm sure we can find something to do..."</p><p>You brushed a strand of hair from your face.</p><p>He wiped his eyes and cheeks with his gloved hands, chuckling lightly. Your head tilted in confusion.</p><p>"So... Like a date?" He asked, slyly.</p><p>Your face grew hot, and you covered your face with your hands mumbling a muffled "Nooo..."</p><p>He laughed again, "Okay then it's a date! I'll be looking forward to it, Artsy." He winked as he called you by your nickname, his demeanor changing in an instant.</p><p>He left you there, flushed and extremely embarrassed, with a smirk on his face. You could see his tail swooshing in delight.</p><p>
  <em>Curse that cocky demon...</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"So... Like a date?" He asked, slyly.</p><p>Your face grew hot, and you covered your face with your hands mumbling a muffled "Nooo..."</p><p>He laughed again, "Okay then it's a date! I'll be looking forward to it, Artsy." He winked as he called you by your nickname, his demeanor changing in an instant.</p><p>He left you there, flushed and extremely embarrassed, with a smirk on his face. You could see his tail swooshing in delight.</p><p>Curse that cocky demon...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You stood there in place, still red hot. Your breaths were shaky and you couldn't deny a slight giddy feeling deep down inside of you, although you tried your absolute best to ignore it. The first thing you did was walk to your phone. Maybe Sarah was right about the whole "dating advice" thing, even if you didn't want to admit it. You didn't necessarily think it was a <em>date </em>date, but more like a tease Bendy used just to get under your skin.</p><p> <em>Yeah... That's definitely what it was, just a tease, right?</em></p><p>You tried to keep telling yourself that, but for some reason, a feeling told you he could have been serious. <em>Not possible. Cartoon. Human. Absolutely not. </em>You shook your head, still shaken up, and texted Sarah.</p><p>"Uh, so the craziest thing happened...." You texted.</p><p>A few minutes pass, and you get the notion that she isn't going to reply. A deep sigh escaped your throat; you wonder what she's doing right now because you are awfully bored. Your thoughts escaped to a few nights ago when you were playing truth or dare with your two best friends to ease the boredom. Clicking your tongue, you scanned the area around you, looking for something-anything to do. Your curious eyes landed on the projector in the middle of the room, with the cardboard cutout of Bendy leaning slightly slanted against the wall. You shrugged your shoulders as you made your inner decision. Walking over to the projector, you inspected it carefully, making sure not to touch anything.</p><p>Upon standing beside it, you heard a faint song emitting from it; you noticed right away that it was the song that Bendy was humming when he danced with you. There goes that sliver of giddiness again, deep within your emotions. You couldn't help but wonder: is there something wrong with the way you're feeling? Up until now, Bendy was nothing more than a comrade, a close friend. But now... You can't describe it. You almost want to be around him, and you get a slight sinking feeling when he disappears.</p><p> <em>It's just because I'm bored and he's a distraction, </em>you tell yourself.</p><p>But is that really it?</p><p>(X)</p><p>The day went by slowly, Bendy not showing up once after your encounter. You texted Sarah again, and still never getting a reply. Eventually, nighttime finally came, and you ended up falling asleep rather late. You had somehow got distracted by drawing random things and thoughts, trying to ease your scattered mind. It was close to 2:00 AM when you did fall asleep, so when you awoke, it wasn't like you normally did: naturally. You opened your eyes to see two big cartoon ones, and a poking at your side. His grin was familiar, mimicking that of his cardboard cutout exactly.</p><p>"Wakey wakey! Today's the day, I hope you're ready!" He said, surprisingly joyously.</p><p>Blinking the clouds from your eyes, you sat up and stretched as a yawn escaped your mouth. The door was open, and the morning sun shone on your face. Bendy stood beside you, looking expectantly. He leaned back on his heels, his hands clasped behind his back.</p><p>"Well? Aren't you gonna get ready?"</p><p>You cocked your head, and Bendy turned away again. For some reason, whenever you catch yourself cocking your head, Bendy always turns away like he's hiding something. You'll have to test that theory out sometime. Anyhow, you stood up, brushing your hair and eyed the bag of fresh clothes. </p><p>"Bendy... I need to change." You said, awkwardly.</p><p>His eyes widened, and he laughed sheepishly.</p><p>"Right! I'll just... Be over here, then..." He said, scurrying into a random hallway.</p><p>Your mouth turned up at the edges, the giddy feeling a tad bit stronger now. You dressed, smoothing down any wrinkles in your clothing, and called for Bendy. You heard the clicking of his shoes running down the hall, getting louder as he neared. He returned and smiled widely.</p><p>"Now, that's better," he said, grabbing your arm.</p><p>You looked at him questioningly, and he began to lead you down one of the hallways. He helped you dodge ink puddles, and looked at you bright-eyed as you neared your destination. He had taken you to the projector room, with all of the chairs aligned into rows, and the projector beaming a square of light onto a screen. You looked at Bendy; he was obviously planning something. He chuckled and lead you to a chair in the center of the front row. Sitting down, he bowed dramatically, and the projector began playing a small tune. You turned your head towards Bendy, only to find out that he had disappeared again. Your (E/C) eyes scanned the room, looking for where he could have gone.</p><p>Your head snapped towards the screen when you heard someone clearing their throat. There, on the screen, was Bendy. You stared in awe, the demon was posing and winked directly at you. You had no idea he could do that, and your interest was peaked instantly. The music started, and he began to dance. At first, it was what every children's cartoon dance would look like: happy and silly. Then, it started to change into something different. His movements became more real, more detailed. He moved in such ways that made your insides flutter; it was that good. </p><p>The music was intoxicating, the rhythm pulsing within you. You foot tapped to the beat, and by the end, the scenery in the background had changed; it was night, the sky littered with stars, and in the foreground was a grassy hill. Everything was black and white, of course. Yet, somehow, it felt like it wasn't just black and white, you could almost see the colors if you tried. The demon looked at you, your glossy eyes scanning the scene before you in wonder. He'd never seen such an expression on your face before, and neither had you ever felt such an emotion.</p><p>That giddy feeling welled inside you, Bendy plopped onto the grass, looking into the screen with a sly smile. You could tell the little show was nearing its end, Bendy finished dancing, and this seemed to be the somewhat happy ending to tie it all together. It really was amazing to see, watching him actually emote with you, even though he was on the screen. Soon, the screen began to turn black at the edges, creating a circle around Bendy's face, just like the ending to a classic cartoon. Ending with Bendy winking, the circle began to shrink until it was nothing but a black screen.</p><p>You laughed, clapping. The screen had been black but it suddenly flashed with words written in cursive. Only for a second, but you could read it clear as day. You stopped clapping, your eyes growing wide. That feeling you had is like fireworks now, exploding with this strange emotion within you. Your eyes were wide, did it really mean what you thought it did?</p><p>It couldn't have.</p><p>But what if it did?</p><p>This strange feeling inside of you told you that yes, yes that is what it meant.</p><p>The screen had flashed the words: "Love is Important".</p><p>Just for you.</p><p>(X)</p><p>I seated (Y/N) down on the front row, my nerves spiking like crazy. I don't know if I should be doing this now, but either way, there is no backing out. I've already gone this far, so might as well do my best. I had an old routine, if you will. A dance that I did just about all the time, I danced my best, but it was never aired. "I don't think it captures the idea of the episode well," they said. So they cut it every time. It's always stuck with me for some reason-I never forgot it. It was almost like I knew I would need to remember how to dance it one day. And that time is now. As she's looking away, I hurriedly hop into the screen. I can't help but feel slightly guilty as her face drops when she notices I'm not there. The dark screen fades in, and I stand there, watching her look for me with those big (E/C) eyes of hers.</p><p>
  <em>I'm here...</em>
</p><p>I eventually resort to clearing my throat, finally catching her attention. My chest flutters as her face lights up, and I can't help but wish to be close to her. Something about her attracts me to every essence of her, and I couldn't help but slowly start to notice myself falling deeper into that attraction. I begin my routine, dancing at my utmost performance. It's been awhile, I can tell ya' that. Fear makes my fingertips go numb, but I know that I can't let that show. I want to empress her. At one point, I nearly falter, I'm getting lost in her features as the glow from the screen accentuates them. I don't understand this feeling, but I might have an idea. </p><p>I dance till the end, the final scene ending smoothly, thankfully. I let out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding, and I can hear frantic laughs along with claps from (Y/N), but I can't seem to gain my senses. The screen flashes with the words I'm thinking. Normally, I'd always do something along the lines of: "That's all folks!" or "Thanks for watchin'!" but not now. All I can think is the cursive words that changed my view of (Y/N). I mean, ever since that day, I've noticed weird emotions surfacing that I don't normally have. </p><p>I don't cry, I don't get jealous, and if I did, I would <strong>never</strong> tell anyone. But I told her. The clapping stops. I'm scared that she'll hate me now, but the look on her face says otherwise. She looks surprised but happy. I laugh, relieved. Hopping out of the screen, she instantly tackles me into a huge hug. I go rigid, I don't think she's ever done something like that before. My fingertips are still nearly numb from my nerves, but I lean into her touch nonetheless. I notice her giggling, which is also something she's never done. I'm filled with this sort of satisfaction-I made her do that. All me, no one else. Not her little friends.</p><p>Me.</p><p>"That was... Amazing! I didn't know you could do that," she exclaimed, breathlessly.</p><p>She lets go of me, and I sort of wish she hadn't. I miss her warmth already.</p><p>"Gee, thanks, Artsy..." I say nervously.</p><p>"Man, I... I feel bad now. I didn't think you'd do this for me, I should have done something for you," she said, pressing her palm to her forehead.</p><p>I shake my head out of instinct, grabbing her hands into mine.</p><p>
  <em>What am I doing?</em>
</p><p>Her eyes are sparkling orbs, so easy to get lost in. I lean in closer.</p><p>
  <em>I can't-I shouldn't...</em>
</p><p> I snap out of it.</p><p>"Your reaction was enough," I say chuckling.</p><p>She smiles, but I can still see that stubborn look in her eyes; she's still guilty.</p><p>"Yeah, but..."</p><p>I pause, waiting for her to finish her sentence. I bite my lip, trying not to cut her off. I don't want her to feel guilty.</p><p>"There's nothing I can really give you... Except this," she said, closing the gap between us.</p><p>Her lips were warm against mine, and I couldn't help but long to be closer to her. My tail started to instinctively wrap around her leg, making my embarrassment skyrocket. Yet I don't pull away. Her eyes flutter close, and mine do as well, loving the feeling of her. A few seconds later, we part. Her cheeks are rosy, and mine would be, too, if I wasn't a cartoon. She breathlessly laughs and looks at me.</p><p>"I hope that was good enough, Bendy..."</p><p>I laugh, "Of course it was, Artsy..."</p><p>I can't help it, I start kissing her again. This time tilting my head, slightly deepening the kiss. My palms glide down her back, resting on her waist. I wish I didn't wear gloves. My tail wrapped tighter against her leg, and she pulled away. </p><p>"Wow, I guess it actually was good enough, huh...?"</p><p>I nodded, and she smirked. I'm the one who does that.</p><p>She broke free from my dazed form and ran down the hallway, laughing. I called after her, stumbling towards her direction. She giggled again, flopping onto her bed. I walked up to her, tapping my foot, I clicked my tongue.</p><p>"Now, why would ya' do that, Artsy?" I said, crossing my arms.</p><p>She sighed, "Oh.. Ya know, you can't just have me <em>that</em> easily..."</p><p>Oh.</p><p>My cheeks feel flushed, even though I know she can't see it, I turn away. I guess it's out there now. I can't deny it, I do want her. I want her to be mine and not her friends.</p><p>"By the way Bendy," she starts.</p><p>I slowly turn my head, looking into her eyes, trying not to get lost in them once again.</p><p>"I think love is important, too..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Oh No...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>My cheeks feel flushed, even though I know she can't see it, I turn away. I guess it's out there now. I can't deny it, I do want her. I want her to be mine and not her friends.</p><p>"By the way Bendy," she starts.</p><p>I slowly turn my head, looking into her eyes, trying not to get lost in them once again.</p><p>"I think love is important, too..."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I walked along the path with Sarah; we had decided to go explore since we had nothing better to do. We thought that if we scanned the area around the studio, we might come across some interesting finds. Besides walking around the building, we figured we should go down a random path that was surrounding it. The largest one (The one we took) is still covered in loose gravel, but more firm. It had fewer rocks and more road to it, and our shoes slapped against it roughly. The sun still shone bright, and I could feel its prickle of heat against my skin. Brushing a strand of dark curly hair from my eyes, I looked over to Sarah.</p><p>"So... What do you plan on finding here?" I ask.</p><p>"Well," she started.</p><p>"I'm not entirely sure what I <em>plan</em> on finding, but I do <em>want </em>to find something. Maybe there is some crazy relics that got thrown out of the studio and ended somewhere along here," She said, gazing towards the end of the long road.</p><p>"That's unlikely, but It's worth a shot I guess." I shrugged my shoulders and trudged on, the heat already taking its toll on me.</p><p>As we walked, we noticed a few abandoned houses that seemed to be in bad shape in the distance. The windows were shattered and covered with sheets of old cardboard, the wood was rotten and the paint chipping. There were only about two or three, though. I looked at Sarah as we passed the first house; the look in her eyes showed mischief, and I couldn't help but return the look. We halted, sizing the house up and down.</p><p>"Hmm... Wanna bet that the wood around the door is so rotten we could just plow through it?" Sarah asked, turning to me with that glint in her eyes.</p><p>I smirked, "Well, what if it doesn't? What would I get?"</p><p>Sarah put her index finger on her chin, pretending to think long and hard.</p><p>"Well, you'd get bragging rights."</p><p>I shrugged, "Good enough."</p><p>We walked up to the house, climbing the steps and onto the small porch, weeds growing through the cracks in the concrete below our feet. The railing surrounding the porch had chipped paint, showing another color beneath the first layer. It was hot to the touch, but not enough to burn my hand when I clutched it, for it was shaded by the house looming over us. Still grabbing onto the railing, I slammed the bottom of my sneaker into the door, it budging slightly. Once again, my foot slammed the wood and the door swung open, a small shriek of excitement coming from Sarah.</p><p>She ran inside, and I took one last look at the houses ahead of us just to make sure no one was watching. For a slight moment, I thought I saw a shadow moving within one of the other houses as I looked through the window, but passed it off as my eyes playing tricks on me again. As I walked into the house, the matted carpet beneath me puffed with dust, creating specks that float in the air. The musty smell of old house filled my nostrils, and the old ripped furniture made me think about the people who once lived in this house before. I could imagine a family sitting on the old stained couch, or a mother cooking for her children in the kitchen. There was no door to the kitchen, so it was the first room you see as you walk in. </p><p>I was ripped from my thoughts when Sarah shouted.</p><p>"Ugh, there's nothing here, Britt!" </p><p>Annoyance was evident in her voice.</p><p>"Are you sure-"</p><p>She groaned again, "Yes I'm sure! I've looked in every room and there's nothing!"</p><p>She walked to the living room, appearing from one of the halls. Her face was blank other than her slanted eyes. I snorted, and her face contorted into an even more annoyed one.</p><p>"Alright, alright. We can just go look inside the other houses. There's like, three other ones. There has to be something in at least one of them."</p><p>She nodded and made her way through the door, and I followed her to the next house. This one didn't look as bad as the first one, but it still didn't look good enough to live in. It was a dark green, but the color was faded by the sun. This one had no railing, so when we trudged up the front steps, I had to hold onto Sarah's arm for support as I kicked the door in. This time it didn't budge, even when I kicked it again and again. I let go of Sarah, and she had that look in her eyes again.</p><p>"Ohh... You know I'm always up for a challenge House! We're getting in whether you like it or not," she said, stomping towards the back of the house.</p><p>Sarah was always one to get her way, even when the odds seemed against her, she always came through. She's got the kind of determination that can be great in some situations and can get her into trouble in others. I'm not sure if this is one of those good situations. I still follow her, though. If it's one thing we have in common, it's that our mischief is uncontrollable. It always seems that we're getting into trouble, even when we don't know it. </p><p>We near the backyard, the grass growing wildly and flowers blooming everywhere. I found Sarah by the back door, looking at me expectantly. Nodding, I hold onto her arm and easily kick the door in. It swung open as if it were unlocked, and we slowly walked inside. The musty smell was a lot worse in this house, and everything was coated in a layer of dust. I coughed lightly, trying to be quiet even if there isn't anyone around to hear me. The wooden floors were splotched with a strange substance, causing it to stain in some places. Whatever it was, it might be the cause of the smell. As always, Sarah was first to start exploring the rooms.</p><p>I stayed still, surveying the room. Something seemed different about this house. Almost as if there were something off about it. I noticed that there was trash strewn throughout the living room, and there were old blankets slung across the chairs. There was an eerie silence throughout the house, and the thumps from Sarah had stopped. I closed my eyes briefly, listening in for every little sound I could hear. The realization hit me. Someone must be in this house; there shouldn't be trash everywhere. Used cups lined the countertop, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a muffled scream. I ran through one of the halls, scanning each vacant room. The thumps and screams grew quiet and I turned around, heading for another hallway across the room.</p><p>"Sarah?" I exclaimed in panic.</p><p>I barreled down the hallway, running across various rooms until I see a blur. I scurry into the room, it was big and empty. My eyes traveled to Sarah who was being held down by a man. It was Joey. He had his palm against her mouth, and her icy blue eyes held terror. I was frozen. His cold gaze lifted to me; dark eyes scanned me over. A wicked chuckle erupted from his chest and he held onto Sarah tighter, his black eyes traveled downwards and on the floor were candles arranged in a circle and with a symbol drawn in the center of them. </p><p>It's a pentagram. Fear raced throughout my entire body and my vision went shaky. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. Sarah's eyes fluttered closed and before I knew it, I ran as fast as I could towards the back door. He didn't follow me, but I swear I could hear footsteps barreling towards me. I stumbled out of the door and ran to the only place close enough I could think of: the studio.</p><p>My lungs burned and tears began to roll down my cheeks, my breaths were long and deep and choked sobs were interrupting them. I felt dizzy and I couldn't think straight; I think I'm hyperventilating. My feet slam against the gravel as I ran to the door, my fist pounding it so hard I think could have bruised my wrist. My mind was whirring with so many thoughts and I was so shaky that I wasn't even surprised when Bendy opened the door.</p><p>His expression went from annoyed to worried in an instant and the sounds of my sharp breaths and sobs brought (Y/N) over to the door, her eyes full of worry and panic. Bendy put his gloved hands on my shoulders and steadied me, a firm yet calm glare in his cartoon eyes.</p><p>"Calm down, Brittany. Breathe. Tell us what happened."</p><p>I did as instructed, and took a slow breath in, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out.</p><p>"T-they got Sarah. No- I mean- <strong>He </strong>got Sarah. It was Joey, he was in an abandoned house... And she..."</p><p>Saying it aloud was harder than expected, and the sobs returned again. (Y/N)'s hands cupped her mouth as she gasped sharply. Bendy's eyes were dark and he clutched onto my shoulders a little too hard before jerking his hands away.</p><p>"If I know anything about Joey, it's that we need to hurry." He said plainly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Corruption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"T-they got Sarah. No- I mean- He got Sarah. It was Joey, he was in an abandoned house... And she..."</p><p>Saying it aloud was harder than expected, and the sobs returned again. (Y/N)'s hands cupped her mouth as she gasped sharply. Bendy's eyes were dark and he clutched onto my shoulders a little too hard before jerking his hands away.</p><p>"If I know anything about Joey, it's that we need to hurry." He said plainly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bendy grabbed my arm and let Brittany lead us towards the house. I don't know what's happening but I'm starting to get very afraid. Judging by the way Brittany is acting, it isn't good. She starts running, calling out for us to keep up. She leads us down the road I saw Sarah and Brittany go down this morning, and we continue to run. My lungs ache by the time we reach the old houses, and Brittany runs towards the second one I see. She's choking on her breaths and her eyes are full of worry. Normally, her big brown eyes are happy; you can see it. But now... All I see is worry. If I were honest, Brittany and Sarah are better friends than I am to them. I'm like the tagalong. But Sarah still cares about me, and that's enough to be very, <em>very </em>worried about her.</p><p>She sprints toward the back door of a house and she shoves it open, creating a loud thump. Bendy looks confused.</p><p>"Is this where you bring us? A house?" Bendy whispered, his eyes slanting slightly.</p><p>Brittany glares at him; a glare I've never seen before. She must really be worried about Sarah. I am too. Only then do I notice that I'm starting to shake, the old musty smell giving me dark thoughts. I imagine the abandoned house being perfect for someone to kidnap a few kids fooling around, just like Sarah. But Joey? That's even worse. What if... I can't help but gasp slightly as the thought comes to mind. What if I find Sarah the same way Bendy found Boris? She's not a cartoon; there's no bringing her back. I can't help but imagine her being cut open...</p><p>I shake my head.</p><p> Brittany stands still, and I try to mimic her breathing. It's not steady, but it helps me control the warm tears rolling down my cheek. Brittany gives me an understanding look and turns left down a hallway. Everything is eerily silent as we walk; the kind of silence that sticks to you like glue. There's no good way to escape silence like this. The only sounds are coming from my breaths because I'm trying not to break down right then and there.</p><p>I feel Bendy's fingers lace with mine, and he squeezes my hand reassuringly. My eyes are focused downward, though. Bendy leads me down the hallway, and I fight to not close my eyes completely. As I finally gain the courage to look up, I see Brittany looking in every direction. She must be looking for Sarah. Or Joey. Her palms rest on a door to our right and she opens it slightly, peeking through the slit. We stand there, waiting. I wanted to push her away from the door so I could look inside, but I knew better. Instead, I focused on Bendy. I sized him up and down, trying to take in every detail the simplistic cartoon demon has to offer. To a stranger, Bendy would have looked angry. His eyes are slanted, giving him that famous angry look. But only someone who knows his emotions could tell he's not angry, but afraid. His mouth lost its usual grin, now holding a slight frown. His tail flicks nervously. To answer the question of what he's afraid of: I don't know. He never liked Sarah anyway, so it's not like he'd be worried about her, right? But I do know he doesn't like Joey. And if I'm not mistaking, he should be showing up any minute now.</p><p>For a split moment, everything is silent. Everything and everyone. Almost as if the world is finally at peace, but only for a moment.</p><p>I hear a loud crash, and suddenly Brittany jumps back, but not far enough to escape the blur that rams directly into her chest. She slams against the wall, black oozing all around her. Bendy growls angrily, and I'm frozen in fear. I see her.</p><p>Sarah.</p><p>She's not the girl I remember; not at all. Her once icy blue eyes that were filled with mischief and energy are nothing but black, beady pits of nothing; they show no emotion at all. Dark bags line the outside of her eyes, and her previous golden hair looked singed and matted, a knotted clump of black just lying atop her head. She had long and skinny fingers that had lost their color and now are a dull gray, along with the rest of her skin.</p><p>Ink dripped from her forehead which was adorned with a strange mark. It looked like nothing but a slash, but it was a clean cut. An odd cut at that, for it wasn't red like you would think it to be, but a dark black. It sat right above her temple, and it looked almost burned into her skin. This is much worse than seeing her dead. Much, much worse. It's like being teased. Your best friend is here, but she's nothing but an empty shell resembling a corpse. If she was dead, then maybe she'd have peace. But like this, she's not at peace at all. That hurts.</p><p> Sarah stared at us and didn't make a sound. She was crouched above Brittany on the floor and she laughed deeply. Her voice is scratchy and deep, almost as if she's been possessed. But I don't think she was. Brittany is alive but weak, her eyes glassy and losing their usual energy.</p><p>I don't know what to do, but I feel like I have to do something.</p><p>I charge at Sarah, pushing and pinning her down on the ink-stained carpet, ignoring the protests from Bendy. I stare at her face; it looks like Sarah. My friend. I can't take it, I hate seeing her like this.</p><p>Screaming, I start clawing at her. All she does is stare, her beady eyes now dull and cloudy. I forcefully shove my hands at her face, trying to scratch her eyes. Almost as if I think that would bring the energy back into them. I was wrong, of course. The ink from her forehead starts to ooze again, and my hands are covered in black, staining her face with streaks of ink. I don't care, though.</p><p>I shouldn't be doing this. I feel like I'm hurting Sarah, but all I want to hurt is the monster that she's turned into. My thoughts are conflicted, like two warriors battling within my mind. More tears roll down my cheeks as I scream at her again, losing all hope. Sarah doesn't even flinch.</p><p>Suddenly, I feel hands grip firmly onto my arms, jerking me away from her. It was Bendy. He turns me around and looks into my eyes, a cold stare chilling me to the bone. I stop thrashing and stand still, staring into his eyes.</p><p>"Stop it (Y/N)."</p><p>His voice was low, and I noticed something strange about the way he looked. His face started dripping, almost like Sarah's forehead. He still stares at me, and I try to pry his hands off of me, but they don't budge. He's got me held in place. Fear comes racing down my skin like a pack of horses, and I try to get away from his cold, empty stare. I can't help but think of the nightmare I had last night when I saw Bendy melting. His face, melted and terrifying. Almost as if he could kill me any second. Only then did I realize that he actually is a demon, and he's probably capable of things I couldn't even imagine. I bite back any sound that I dare make. The ink is nearly covering his eyes now, and I stop panting. I close my eyes. I don't know what he's doing, but I'm scared. He holds onto me tighter, and I whimper as his fingertips nearly pierce my skin. </p><p>His grip loosens as he hears three low claps come from the room we were standing next to. His head turns towards the sound.</p><p>"Well, well, well. Look who decided to make an appearance on this lovely...<em>show</em> I've been watching," Joey said, walking into the hallway and giving Sarah a hard stare.</p><p>"You can stop now."</p><p>Upon hearing Joey's orders, Sarah unpinned Brittany and stood up. A weak whine escaped from Brittany's throat. </p><p>"I've been wanting to see you, Bendy."</p><p>The hands around my shoulder were yanked away, and Bendy stared ahead, darkly.</p><p>"Don't you <em>dare</em> say my name again."</p><p>Joey chuckled, "Alright, toon."</p><p>"What did you do to Sarah?" I demanded. Or at least tried to.</p><p>My voice cracked, and everything that came out of my mouth was nothing but a croaked whisper.</p><p>"Well, I did the same thing I did to bring Bendy here, of course. But... I wasn't expecting such strange things to happen when I did it to a human. I was originally going for you, (Y/N). But, it seemed as if Sarah decided to help me out. Isn't that right, Sarah?"</p><p>A dark rumble came from her throat, and her forehead started to drip again. My palms were sweaty and my breaths were short and fast. What did he mean 'try it on a human'? I can only imagine what he did to Sarah... Or what he would have done to me. I feel guilty, it should have been me. Sarah didn't deserve this, I did. Anyone but my friends.</p><p>My eyes darted from Bendy to Brittany to Sarah and to Joey. Also, what did Joey mean when he said 'when I brought Bendy here'? Was Bendy somehow brought to life? Or was he brought here some other way? I have no idea. This guy was insane, that's for sure.</p><p>"But don't worry!" Joey said with unusual joy.</p><p>"Sarah can be brought back to normal, but she'll never be the same. So... No. I guess she can't be brought back to <em>normal</em>, can she?"</p><p>He eyed me as he finished his sentence, almost relishing in my anger. I'm not strong, I couldn't fight him. But I wanted to. I don't what would happen if I did. What if he somehow managed to turn me into a monster like Sarah? My fists clenched. No. I don't care about myself, all I care about is my friend. My breathing was gradually getting faster, and I felt a surge of adrenaline as I moved to pounce onto the man. </p><p>But I couldn't.</p><p>Cold hands held me in place and shoved me back, and I saw a black blur pounce on Joey. Bendy's ink was pooling everywhere as he tackled him to the ground. I sat there in shock and turned to Brittany. She was staring ahead, a terrified look on her face. All I wanted to do was to tell her that we would be okay. <em>She</em> would be okay. We would all get out of here, and everything will end happily ever after.</p><p>But that's not how stories like this work, huh?</p><p>Suddenly, a large growl came from Sarah as she tried to fight Bendy off. I didn't think much as I ran towards Brittany, helping her off of the ground. I put her arm around my shoulder and help her limp out of the house as quickly as possible. As I hurriedly guided her towards the exit, I scanned her injuries. Her lip was slightly bruised, but any other wounds would be broken bones or bruises. I think she'll be bed ridden for a while, but she should be okay. I sigh of relief and I gently set her on the porch, her frail gaze meeting mine.</p><p>"You're going to be okay, just stay here okay?"</p><p>She nodded. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words left her mouth. I held back a look of pity as I ran towards Bendy. When I arrived at the hallway, Bendy had Joey unconscious, for he had somehow managed to hit him hard enough. Bendy was crouched over him, an angry scowl covering his features. Sarah was still, almost as if Joey had been controlling her every move and thought. I choke down my fears as I help Bendy up, prying him off of the now limp Joey.</p><p>"Are you okay?" I wanted to ask more, but I couldn't. My mind was crazy, and my mouth didn't move fast enough to ask questions that rammed into my head like bullets.</p><p>Bendy nodded and grazed his palm across my cheek, a slight sting emitting from it.</p><p>
  <em>I must have somehow cut it when I started clawing at Sarah...</em>
</p><p>"You're hurt..." He stated, his voice nearly devoid of emotion. But I could tell it was there.</p><p>"Don't worry about me... What about you? Or Sarah?"</p><p>He brushed a strand of (H/C) hair from my face, and only then did I notice how dirty I was. My face was caked with dust mixed with sweat, along with the blood on my cheek. My hair hadn't been washed in a while as well as my clothes. Bendy smiled weakly.</p><p>"Sarah's going to be fine, I'll take care of her. And... Don't worry about me..." He said, referencing my previous statement.</p><p>Sarah was still and quiet as we lead her home. It was almost as if her brain had stopped working; she stumbled around the road and struggled to keep a steady pace. Brittany limped beside me, and I occasionally had to prop her onto my arms to help steady herself. The walk was long and tiring, and the sky was beginning to turn into a dull nighttime shade, full of blues and purples. The moon was peaking through the trees, and finally, I felt somewhat relaxed. Eventually, we made our way to the studio and sat Sarah and Brittany down on my bed.</p><p> I couldn't help but worry about their parents, and getting them home safely without them jumping my case. That's not going to go well at all. I'd probably never get to speak to them again if they knew I was involved with any of this. Especially Sarah's mother.</p><p>"You shouldn't bite your nails, Artsy." </p><p>Only then did I notice that I was doing just that, and I jerked my hand away, smiling sheepishly.</p><p>"Don't worry about Sarah, I'll fix her up in a jiffy. You get some rest, okay?" He said, leading Sarah down one of the hallways, allowing room for me and Brittany on the small quilt bed. He turned towards you and smiled.</p><p>I nodded and lay my head down, my restless mind whirring with many worries and questions. I lay there, thinking and overthinking. About fifteen minutes in, however, Brittany was already asleep, her soft snores the only sound in the dimly lit room. My eyes finally grew heavy, and suddenly I felt arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to a certain demon. I knew it was Bendy because his tail gently wrapped around my leg. I smiled and leaned into his touch; it was definitely easier to fall asleep now.</p><p>"You'll be okay, Artsy. I'm not going to let Joey take your friend away from you... He's taken enough friends away already..." He said quietly.</p><p>You were grateful that he cared so much, but you were so tired you couldn't express a full thought clearly anymore. You instead hummed in response, letting sleep wrap you in its warm embrace after a long and tiring day. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Fear is Seeping In...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>My eyes finally grew heavy, and suddenly I felt arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to a certain demon. I knew it was Bendy because his tail gently wrapped around my leg. I smiled and leaned into his touch; it was definitely easier to fall asleep now.</p><p>"You'll be okay, Artsy. I'm not going to let Joey take your friend away from you... He's taken enough friends away already..." He said quietly.</p><p>You were grateful that he cared so much, but you were so tired you couldn't express a full thought clearly anymore. You instead hummed in response, letting sleep wrap you in its warm embrace after a long and tiring day. </p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That night you had a dream that you were talking to Sarah about nothing in particular. The two of you were sitting on your bed chatting about boys and whatnot, the dull sunlight seeping through the doorway. You looked around; everything seemed to be in place. The only thing you had noticed, however, is that Brittany had disappeared. That strikes you as odd, and you try to ignore the fear building up within your chest. Sarah still rambles on, never stopping despite your interest being lost in the current conversation.</p><p>After a few moments of listening to Sarah, you hear small, frantic footsteps, and your head instantly jerks to where the sound was coming from. Your eyes surveyed the surrounding area, seeing nothing but wood planks and ink drops.</p><p><em>Strange, </em>you thought.</p><p>By now, Sarah's voice had turned into nothing but fuzzy murmurs. The tapping footsteps started again. They sounded like they were coming from right behind you; charging at you. You lunged to the right, fearful that whoever the footsteps belonged to would ram into your spine.</p><p>But they it stopped suddenly.</p><p>The sunlight transformed into a dark gray, an eerie feeling surrounding you. They gray soon turned into darkness, first seeping in through the door, then the floorboards, and began to drip from the ceiling. You turned towards Sarah as her voice grew louder, her once quiet mumbles now turning into decipherable words. At first, it was a loud rumble. But after listening in, you heard angry words spilling from her lips.</p><p>
  <strong>"Why did you let that happen, (Y/N)?"</strong>
</p><p>You looked at her, confused.</p><p>"Let what happen? What did I do?"</p><p>You both were consumed in darkness at this point, the only sound coming from Sarah's scratchy, dark voice. Her face contorted angrily, and her forehead slash began to drip the black substance as her eyes grew dark and solemn.</p><p>
  <strong>"It was your fault I was killed, wasn't it?"</strong>
</p><p>You felt a pang of hurt well up inside of you. What did you do? Wasn't it Joey who did this?</p><p>
  <em>But... She's not dead...</em>
</p><p> Sarah gave you no time to speak as she tackled you to the ground, her long nails digging into your skin. Crimson stained your clothes, and Sarah looked at you with such fake pity.</p><p>"Wh-... Why?" You managed to choke out.</p><p>Sarah's face didn't change, and she continued to claw at you. Her eyes looked angry yet emotionless at the same time. Your arms were burning with cuts and slashes, and you were aching all over from being shoved so harshly onto the dark surface beneath you. Sarah stopped scratching you but instead started shaking you violently by the shoulders.</p><p>
  <strong>"(Y/N)... (Y/N)..."</strong>
</p><p>(X)</p><p>You awoke with a jolt, causing Brittany to yelp and jump back. Once you regain your senses, you notice Brittany scowling while holding her nose.</p><p>"Thanks a lot, (Y/N)." She said flatly.</p><p>You stutter out an apology, wiping the sweat from your face. You focus your attention on breathing as you wrap your arms around your knees, and look up at Brittany who looks rather worried.</p><p>"What's wrong?" You ask, tilting your head.</p><p>She sighs, her eyes darting to every corner of the room.</p><p>"I had a nightmare last night, about Sarah... It's hard to explain. She was dangling off of a cliff, and I tried to help her-" She was cut off by a gasp of air, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "And when I reached out for her... She told me that I'd never save her and that she would have died. Then she... Let go. I could see her fall; I could see her body hit the ground..." </p><p>Tears fell from her eyes, choked sobs causing her to shake. You leaned forward and engulfed her in a hug, allowing her to cry onto your shoulder.</p><p>"And.. when I woke up... Bendy and Sarah both were gone. I've been up for about an hour, and I didn't want to wake you. When you started shaking was when I gave in and decided to wake you up." She said, her voice muffled by your clothes.</p><p>"It's okay, Brittany. I had a nightmare about Sarah too. Don't worry, we'll find them. How about I help you get home? I'm sure your mother is worried sick."</p><p>She pulled away and chuckled lightly, wiping the tears from her now reddened face.</p><p>"Okay, mom," she said sarcastically.</p><p>You playfully roll your eyes and stand up, holding out your hand. Helping Brittany up, you walked over to a bag of clean clothes.</p><p>"Hey, if you want... You can freshen up a bit at my place. We'd just have to sneak you in."</p><p>You thought for a moment and nodded. You figured if Bendy actually cared enough where you were, he would have shown up by now. You didn't feel like looking for him so you just left with Brittany. Honestly, you were annoyed with him at the moment. He's been acting strange, especially with the whole Joey and Sarah thing. You decided to just think about yourself and worry about him later.</p><p>"So... You and Bendy, huh?" Brittany said as you made it outside of the studio, the sun warming your cool skin. </p><p>Your cheeks flushed; you were very sensitive when it came to these kinds of subjects.</p><p>"What are you talking about?"</p><p>She scoffed and tilted her head back, a smirk on her face.</p><p>"Yeah... Because he <em>totally </em>wasn't snuggling with you last night. Man, at first I thought Sarah was crazy thinking you two could be a couple, but now I'm second guessing myself..."</p><p>You stopped suddenly and punched her arm, making her wince in pain.</p><p>"We weren't cuddling. And no, we aren't <em>dating</em>."</p><p>Brittany only hummed in response, as if she didn't believe a single word that had escaped your lips. You rolled your eyes and looked ahead, her big house coming into view. The two of you walked in silence, Brittany's eyes darting towards your every few seconds.</p><p>"But... Why was he cuddling you, then?"</p><p>You sighed loudly, "Really? This again? Listen, we only kissed once-" </p><p>You stopped. Standing there, Brittany made the most annoying "I told you so" sound as she started running for her house. You silently cursed yourself for letting it slip, knowing Brittany would never let you live this down. You groaned and ran after her, cringing every time she started to giggle. Your legs were weaker than hers, but you eventually caught up to her. Brittany led you through her humongous front yard, and you noticed a small garden with a few flowers growing in it. It didn't seem to be well kept, but it still looked nice.</p><p> After walking up to her patio, she held up a finger, signaling you to stay put. She walked quietly through the front door, her head darting from left to right. She must have been looking for someone in the house. After standing still for a few seconds she nodded and waved her hand, beckoning you to come inside. As you entered her home, you noticed how beautiful it looked. A huge staircase led to the second floor, and beautiful paintings lined the walls.</p><p>"It's a nice place you got, Britt." You said, your eyes surveying your surroundings.</p><p>She bowed playfully, "Why, thank you, (Y/N)."</p><p>You laughed and continued to explore. Brittany looked around for a few seconds before noticing a small note written on wrinkled paper on her fridge. Picking it up, she began to read it, her eyes squinting as she did so. A moment or so later an angry sigh escaped her mouth. She handed the note to you, her palm meeting her forehead.</p><p>
  <em>Brittany, since you decided to go off with your friends, this is the note you shall receive. Your father and I had to go out of town for a while for one of our sick patents: Mrs. Wells. We'll be back within a week or two, depending on how she reacts to our treatments. When you see this, call Aunt Claire. She's going to be keeping you for the time being. Be good Brittany.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love, Mom.</em>
</p><p>You sat staring at the paper for a few seconds.</p><p>"I didn't know your mom worked with patients..."</p><p>"Yeah, she's one of those traveling nurses... Gets a good bit of money, too," she sighed.</p><p>"Yeah, my parents are away too. I don't know when they'll be back for sure because they haven't made any reason to contact me..."</p><p>"Well, great. I guess I won't be seeing you for, like, two weeks. Just peachy."</p><p>You looked into her warm brown eyes, and you smiled softly.</p><p>"Hey, at least we don't have to sneak around, right? And we'll call and text each other the whole time."</p><p>She laughed lightly.</p><p> "But... Do you think you can tell me where the shower is?"</p><p>Brittany nodded. </p><p>"Down that hallway, last door on the right."</p><p>(X)</p><p>I led Sarah down a dark stairway, being careful so she doesn't fall. Her arms fall limp against her waist, and her face is slack. I'm not sure what Joey did to her, but she's acting like her brain and all of her thought processes have been completely shut off. She only stared ahead, her dull eyes showing no emotion. I'm going to try and see if I can reverse whatever Joey did to her, and if it comes to it, I can always use the ink machine. After leading her into a dimly lit room, I lead her to a large pentagram drawn in the middle of the wooden floor. I set her inside of the circle  and stare into her dark eyes, noticing an ink-like substance begin to drip from her forehead.</p><p>       I have no idea where that slash came from, but it's not an actual cut; I would know. It's some kind of mark, most likely put there to control her or to perform some sort of ritual with her. I shake my head at the thought of Joey doing such things. I can't help but be reminded of Boris, Joey taking his life for reasons he didn't tell me. But Sarah is alive, and I intend to keep it that way. I don't want (Y/N) going through that, along with her house. It would destroy her...</p><p> The once thick silence is shattered when she screams loudly, her voice low and scratchy. I jump, fear beginning to prick at my chest. I run towards her and try to cover her mouth but to no avail. She shoves me away, beginning to scratch at her eyes and pull out clumps of her dark, matted hair. I fall to the ground from her strong shove, and she continues to screech. Looking around, I try to find something to shut her up. I don't want (Y/N) finding out what I've been doing.</p><p>She stops screaming and falls limp.</p><p>I scramble to my feet, my ink dripping slightly. I size her up and down, her face is emotionless and her eyes look red. She has claw marks from her own nails scattered over her arms, and her breaths are nonexistent. I'm not sure if this is how you would do it, but I put my head to her chest. I didn't hear a heartbeat. My eyes go wide, and my breath hitches in my throat.</p><p> I didn't kill Sarah, did I?</p><p>She can't be dead, that was too sudden to happen. Something isn't right, I know it. She has to come back, I can't have (Y/N) freaking out. I pull away from her chest, my eyes staring straight ahead.</p><p>
  <em>What would (Y/N) think? </em>
</p><p>Oh no... </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>What would (Y/N) think?</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>I start to imagine her leaving me out of anger, I can almost see her face full of hatred. I'd be nothing but an evil demon who killed her friend. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me, right? I feel myself nearly lose control, and I start rocking back and forth to get rid of excess energy building up within me. Ink pools around me and my vision gets black around the edges, like a swarm of bugs are engulfing me. My mind is whirring with many awful, scary thoughts at this point. </p><p>
  <em>She'll hate me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She'll run away and leave me forever...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'll never see her again.</em>
</p><p> I snap from the dark thoughts when I hear a door slam, and a voice calling my name. I stand up, trying to focus on getting my ink back to normal. I attempt to mask my fear as I scurry up the stairs hoping she can't hear me down here. As soon as my eyes find hers, I run towards her.</p><p>(X)</p><p>My hair still wet from the fresh shower, I sigh as I finally feel full. Brittany had given me something to eat before I left, and she told me where the spare key to her house was. So now, if I ever got hungry, I could go and get something to eat from her house. I grab the key to the studio from my pocket and unlock the door. Walking into the slightly musty room, I look around for Bendy. He's nowhere in sight. Slightly annoyed, I slam the door shut and call his name, hoping he would show up. After a few seconds of waiting, I hear the familiar <em>tap tap</em> of his feet, and stumble back as he tackles me in a bone-crushing hug.</p><p>"Woah, Bendy! You're crushing me here," I croaked out.</p><p>He pulled back, a nervous look in his eye. He stares into my eyes, his cartoon ones staring me up and down.</p><p>"Bendy... Are you okay?"</p><p>He just laughed sheepishly and grinned. I hadn't noticed his famous smile was gone until it returned, but he still looked rather nervous. I was about to ask further until he suddenly pulled me in, kissing me. This is only the second official time we'd kissed and my face grew red hot. I enjoyed it, but Bendy seemed afraid of it. It wasn't like before. Something was definitely wrong with Bendy.</p><p>The kiss didn't last long, and he pulled away. He cupped my cheek, feeling his gloved thumb glide up and down on my face. I felt fear welling within my chest. Something wasn't right; I can feel it. He looks strange; his eyes show fear and sadness, but his grin is everlasting.</p><p>"I just wanted to do that one last time..." He said, quietly.</p><p>"Bendy, what's going on-"</p><p>"Artsy?"</p><p>I stopped talking and tilt my head up, so it's closer to his.</p><p>"There's something I should tell you..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Her New Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The kiss didn't last long, and he pulled away. He cupped my cheek, the feeling of his gloved thumb glide up and down on my face. I felt fear welling within my chest. Something wasn't right; I can feel it. He looks strange; his eyes show fear and sadness, but his grin is everlasting.</p><p>"I just wanted to do that one last time..." He said, quietly.</p><p>"Bendy, what's going on-"</p><p>"Artsy?"</p><p>I stopped talking and tilt my head up, so it's closer to his.</p><p>"There's something I should tell you..."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I'm not sure what happened after he told me. I remember his voice sounding solemn, and his eyes looking fearful. Everything after that was a blur. Bits and fragments of my memory stayed with me, however. I remember staring at him, barely being able to see a streak of black drop from his eyes. I thought about running to Brittany's; I thought about staying there to help me grieve. But, I knew it wouldn't do any good. I wanted to, though. Bendy touched my shoulder lightly, sending a spark down my spine. I was so confused, I didn't want to believe what I had heard. My mouth was dry, and I hadn't shed a single tear. </p><p>I remember all of the good times Sarah and I had; how many smiles she brought to our faces. She was a mischievous girl, I'll give her that. She always got what she wanted. She and Brittany both loved pranks and getting into trouble, them often dragging me into their playful schemes. But... I didn't mind. I enjoyed playing tricks on others, playing truth or dare, and going into the woods at night to try and scare each other. It was crazy in the best way possible and I loved it. </p><p>As Bendy's words sank in, all of the old memories seem to flow through my mind and out of my eyes, weeps of despair filling the musty room. Bendy must have felt bad, for I felt his arms encase mine in a gentle hug. Part of me wanted to lean into his touch and hug him back, but another part of me wanted to push him away. I was angry that this happened, but my judgment was clouded by grief. But, most of all, I wanted an explanation. I swallowed harshly, my mouth still dry and face pale.</p><p>"H-how...?" I croaked out, barely above a whisper.</p><p>Bendy grimaced and pulled away, he began to lead me to the bed and sit me down. Slowly sitting in front of me, he sighed.</p><p>"Well..."</p><p>He explained all that had happened while I was away and kept apologizing throughout it all. Every other sentence was a muttered apology, his eyes showing every bit of it. I wanted to forgive him. I sat rigidly, his words seeping into my buzzing thought process. I can't remember much of what happened, but I remember Bendy never leaving my side after that, he catered to my every need in hopes of redeeming himself. I didn't talk much, though; what was there to say? I remember him talking about losing Boris, and it reminded me: wasn't he supposed to try and bring Boris back? Maybe, if he can bring Boris back, he can revive Sarah somehow. I may be losing my mind, but it's a chance. I stared idly at the lead on the paper.</p><p>"Are you okay, Artsy?" Bendy said, appearing out of nowhere once again.</p><p>I loosened my grip on my pencil and stared at the sloppy sketch along the yellowed paper. I heard his tapping footsteps as he sat on the floor beside the desk I was sitting in, and he looked up at me. I pursed my lips and let out a deep breath.</p><p>"Actually, Bendy...."</p><p>He hummed, his grin turning into a closed smile.</p><p>"Do you think... That if you could bring Boris back..." </p><p>To that, Bendy's face turned solemn and he leaned closer to me.</p><p>"What do ya' mean...?"</p><p>I took a deep breath, preparing myself for saying <em>her </em>name.</p><p>"You could bring... Sarah... Back as well?"</p><p>Bendy leaned back, looking into my (E/C) eyes. His cartoon orbs slanted, making him look immensely serious.</p><p>"I could try, but ya' know, Sarah's not a cartoon like Boris is..."</p><p>My head snapped in his direction, "I don't care. I want her back..." Bendy leaned away at my harsh tone.</p><p>More tears fell, splotching the paper below me. This is why I tried not to think about her; I knew this would happen if I did. I tried not to think at all, as a matter of fact. I couldn't stop the constant flow of tears destroy the paper I had been sketching on. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bendy do that melting thing he does, and nodded slightly. He sighed, regaining himself and returning to a normal state.</p><p>"I'll do my best but... Remember how you had to draw a picture of Boris?" He asked hastily.</p><p>I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes. </p><p>"Well, you'd have to do that with Sarah. And no, she won't be a human if it works. So... Design her good." He said, getting up and pecking me on the cheek before running down one of the hallways. For such lighthearted actions, his words sounded terribly serious.</p><p>I sat there thinking about what he had said. From what I got from it, I had to 'design' Sarah. I have no idea what that means. Do I make her into a cartoon?</p><p>
  <em>A direct illustration...</em>
</p><p>My head jerked upright as I finally understood what was happening. The only way to bring her back was to bring her back as a cartoon. I held my breath as I realized what I had to do. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine her as the toon she would (hopefully) be. I don't know how to do this, what style should I use? There are so many questions and worries racing throughout my mind at this point, I can hardly think straight.</p><p>It's very hard to draw your dead best friend, but I had to do it anyway. I began lazily sketching out pictures of a girl. I tried to just get a basic guideline of what she'd look like. It still didn't feel like Sarah; it was missing something. I started another drawing of the same girl, but I gave her long, thick hair and a smirk. I smiled slightly, remembering how she smirked right before one of her pranks. I was getting there slowly but surely. I drew another girl, this time the toon grinning widely as she was about to pull one of her mischievous tricks. It seemed to be coming together now.</p><p>I drew her clothes simple: a shirt and jeans. It was what she mostly wore anyway, and it seemed to fit well with her design. After I had a basic design, I began to draw many different poses and angles do make her as detailed as possible. As I finished my last drawing, I heard Bendy walk in and look at the paper I had been drawing on. I noticed how his gloved hands were smudged with ink, along with his pale face. Drops of ink were splattered on his bow tie as well. He picked up the page, inspecting it. </p><p>"Pretty good," he said nonchalantly. "Like always, of course."</p><p>He winked at me and folded the page and slipped it into his glove. As he was about to walk away, I grabbed his arm.</p><p>"Wait... What are you going to do with it?"</p><p>He raised a nonexistent eyebrow, "Are ya' sure you wanna' know?"</p><p>I thought for a second. Do I really want to know? Of course I do. It's basically my best friend in the hands of a demon. A trusted demon, but still a demon. </p><p>"Yeah. I do want to know..." I said, trying to sound sure of my decision.</p><p>He sighed and crossed his arms.</p><p>"Well... To put it simply... I'm going to use ink from the ink machine and a ritual to bring her back to life as a cartoon. That better?" He asked.</p><p>He stared into my wide eyes and chuckled.</p><p>"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn her into a demon or anything. I guess one is enough to handle, huh?" He asked as he started for the ink machine.</p><p>Before I could answer, he had slipped away. He always leaves me at the peak of our conversations, leaving me wanting more. I have so many questions such as: What kind of ritual? How does it work? Can I see? So I'll never get to see human Sarah again? All questions that will most likely not get answered, sadly. But I was determined to get a few of them. I stood up from the wooden desk and stretched out my legs. I was actually disappointed that Bendy left me like that; he always does. I was pondering texting Brittany, maybe I could tell her about bringing Sarah to life. She might think I was crazy.</p><p>"Do uh, do ya' wanna come?"</p><p>I jumped at the sound of Bendy's voice, and turn in his direction. He held a small jar of ink in his hand. I stared idly into his eyes for a brief moment before snapping back to reality. I accept his offer, taking his hand as we walked. He led me down a dark staircase, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frightened. The sound of the creaking floorboards filled my ears and I began to see a faint glow coming from the end of the long line of stairs we were descending upon. I soon realized that the glow came from candles, which were aligned in a circle around a pentagram. I gasped sharply as we reached the end of the staircase. Bendy's thumb ran in circles around my palm and I was beginning to rethink my decision. Everything happened so fast, and I never realized how much of an actual <em>demon </em>Bendy was until he started doing his ritual. I'm not even sure what transpired in those few moments because I had been frozen in fear. I wasn't afraid of anything hurting me, but I was afraid of Sarah. </p><p>Bendy started melting again and a strange fiery mist filled my vision. I had to look away because I knew that if I had stared for too long, I might blind myself. Also because I was fearful of what I might see. I squeezed my eyes shut and, even though they were closed, I could still see the glow seeping through my eyelids. I shuffled away from the circle until my back was pressed against the wall firmly and I tried focusing on nothing but my breathing. My heartbeat thumped in my ears over and over again like a drum within my head. But when everything stopped suddenly, the only sounds came from my frantic frightened breathing. I could make out small pants coming from Bendy as well.</p><p>I opened my eyes and slowly focused my gaze on the ever growing shadow in the middle of the room, the mist fading completely. I squinted my eyes, the dark figure slowly coming into view. It came to my realization that the shadow was the girl I had drawn, her hair now a ghostly white. I gasped sharply as I realized that this was the new Sarah. Her once blue eyes now a cartoonish black, and her vibrant blonde hair nothing but a pale white. Bendy backed away, standing beside me against the wall. His hands glided up my shoulder, gently nudging me towards the new cartoon created in the room.</p><p>"It's okay, Artsy..." He said quietly. </p><p>I assume he could tell how pale I had become, my face slack and nerves spiking like crazy. His hand rested on my back and I tried to focus solely on that sensation. We had made it across the room and standing in front of Sarah, I could see more details on her limp form lying on the ground. She was outlined in black, and her features were exaggerated like that of an old cartoon. Just the way I had drawn her. Her eyes moved upwards, and she slowly rose. I ignored the sadness inside of me, knowing that I'd never get to see Sarah's face again. Instead, I look at the new representation in front of me. She groaned, her palm rubbing across her hair.</p><p>"Brittany... That guy almost-" She stopped mid-sentence. </p><p>She glanced around, her cartoon eyes darting left and right. Her mouth hung slightly open, and she gazed at me.</p><p>"(Y/N)...?"</p><p>She brought her hand down in front of her face, and upon seeing it, the same dark ink from before seeped from her forehead. Bendy leaned over towards my ear as she did this.</p><p>"I think that stuff on her forehead is here to stay... Musta' been some mark Joey put on her."</p><p>I nodded sadly, and Sarah's head snapped in our direction.</p><p>"A mark? <strong>A mark?</strong> You think <strong>this </strong>is just a <strong>mark?</strong>" She exclaimed, gesturing to her cartoon self. "What happened to me?" Her voice wavered, and she wiped the ink off of her forehead. It dripped along her fingers, her eyes staring deep into the dark substance dripping down the length of her pale arm.</p><p>"Listen... Sarah... I can explain."</p><p>She glared at me angrily, "You better."</p><p>I led her up the stairs, my hands clenched tightly onto her shoulders to keep her from falling as she stumbled to and fro. After making it up the long stairway, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light. I noticed that Sarah and Bendy did not even react to the change in lighting, however. My mind wandered to what it must be like being a cartoon, soon traveling to how Sarah was going to cope with it. At least she was here. She may be slightly different, but she's still Sarah and that's all that matters. I told her to go sit on my bed, and as she made her way down the hallway, Bendy grabbed my arm. He waited until Sarah was out of eyesight to cup my cheek, his gaze peering into mine.</p><p>"You... Are you okay, (Y/N)?" He asked quietly. </p><p>I hummed, taking in the relaxing warmth of his palm against my cheek and rested my forehead against his. He chuckled and closed his eyes, his tail wrapping around my ankle. I don't know why he does that, but I don't mind. He sighed in content as I adjusted his bow tie and breathed in, trying to let all of the stress I had built up inside of me let go just for this one moment. I savored the little relaxation I felt as I let my demon lover embrace me. It wasn't anything like how I imagined when I stepped foot into this place. Everything has happened so quickly yet so slowly at the same time. I once was terrified of the cartoon in front of me, fearing that he would surely end my life. Now, I had already shared my first kiss with him. Yet it feels like an eternity waiting for the next time I get to embrace him, without letting any worries seep into my mind. He hummed softly.</p><p>"I guess we should get back to Sarah," I said, even though I wanted to stay with Bendy with every fiber of my being. I wanted to latch onto his warm form and never let go. He could protect me from all of the worries of this world...</p><p>He nodded and we made our way to the main room, his tail pressed against my back and his fingers laced with mine.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Runaway Toon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It wasn't anything like how I imagined when I stepped foot into this place. Everything has happened so quickly yet so slowly at the same time. I once was terrified of the cartoon in front of me, fearing that he would surely end my life. Now, I had already shared my first kiss with him. Yet it feels like an eternity waiting for the next time I get to embrace him, without letting any worries seep into my mind. He hummed softly.</p><p>"I guess we should get back to Sarah," I said, even though I wanted to stay with Bendy with every fiber of my being. I wanted to latch onto his warm form and never let go. He could protect me from all of the worries of this world...</p><p>He nodded and we made our way to the main room, his tail pressed against my back and his fingers laced with mine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sarah sat sullenly on the quilts, her eyes tilted downwards. I sat in front of her, Bendy right beside me.</p><p>"Well? You want to tell me how I got like this?"</p><p>I inhaled a breath of air, trying to organize my thoughts to the best of my ability.</p><p>"I will, Sarah. But first, tell me: what was the last thing you remember?" I said, trying to sound as calm and collected as possible so as to not freak her out any further.</p><p>"Okay... I remember walking into a room, and this guy grabbed me. His hand was around my mouth, and his arm was around my throat. I could barely breathe. The last thing I remember was this weird hot and warm sensation being pressed onto my forehead. After that, I can only remember being able to see redness before blacking out, I guess."</p><p>Bendy nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.</p><p>"Hmm..." I hummed, thoughtfully. "You think that feeling on your forehead has something to do with you dripping... Ink?"</p><p>Sarah shrugged, her fingers trailing over her now dry forehead.</p><p>"Obviously Joey put some sort of mark on you. I don't know why, but it might have something to do with how you were acting after we saved you from him..." Bendy finally piped in.</p><p>Sarah looked confused. "Wait... What do you mean 'how I was acting'?"</p><p> "Well... You were kinda acting like your brain had completely stopped functioning altogether. You were bumping into things, growling (for some reason), and your eyes were.... lifeless-looking. It was freaky." Bendy said plainly.</p><p>Sarah looked confused and angry, her eyes slanting downwards.</p><p>"What about my parents...?"</p><p>My eyes snapped open wide; I had completely forgotten about that. What will her parents think? I can only imagine the heartbreak her parents would feel... No, how Sarah would feel...</p><p>"Sarah I'll help you with your parents. But first, we should tell you about how you got like this..."</p><p>Sarah's eyes lifted slightly.</p><p>~</p><p>I had explained the who fiasco with Joey and tried to piece together everything to the best of my ability. I told her about how she reacted when Bendy tried to reverse her, and that what he did was only trying to help. I could see her face contort with many emotions, and sadness etched its way onto her features. With the help of Bendy, I explained the ritual and how it was the only way to bring her back. We three sat in silence as the last words of my explanation left my lips, waiting for Sarah's reaction. I thought it would come slowly. I thought the realization would slowly make its way into her mind, and she'd react accordingly. I didn't think she'd react well to it, of course not, but I didn't expect her to jump up so suddenly and bolt out of the door the way she did. I tried calling for her because I knew that if she were roaming the streets, everyone would see her. She didn't listen to me, though. Bendy held me back as I started after her, but I stopped struggling as I saw her scurry into the small patch of trees lining the roads near the studio, that eventually lead into the woods. Of course, she would go there; she loves the woods. </p><p>"Bendy..." </p><p>I turned to face him but was met with warm arms wrapping around my form. I could feel his tail wrap around my leg, and I buried my face into his shoulder, taking in his warmth. It's all I have left at this point. I can feel his palm trace circles along my back, and my arms instinctively wrapped around his torso. We both stand there, the silence sharp and unforgiving. I feel him start to sway from side to side slightly, soon turning into long drawn out movements. I hear him humming the song he sang that night we danced, and my grip on him begins to tighten slightly. He sighed and kissed the top of my head lightly, telling me it was going to be okay. I hope so.</p><p>(X)</p><p>I ran into the trees, not daring to look back. I hate this, and I hate (Y/N). I just want everything to end. I don't understand why she didn't just let me die, at least then I wouldn't have to live like this. My parents will most likely think I'm dead, and then everyone will hear about it. I'm sure they're already freaking out now, searching for me throughout the streets. I'm some crazy cartoon character that has nowhere to live; who's previous life was completely thrown out the window, and will never be the same again. I don't know where Brittany is, but I just wish I could hug her right now. I think for a moment, leaning on a tree for support and to catch my breath. I could go to the abandoned houses. There, I wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing me. But then again... Joey might be there, and I can't just let that happen again. But, honestly, I have nothing to lose. </p><p>I begin running again, still staying inside the trees but following the road to the houses. I sprint past many sharp vines and branches that scratch my arms and legs and tug at my hair, but I still run as fast as I can. I try and make sure the trees don't rustle as I run, hoping if someone sees it, they'd only think it was an animal. I slowly skid to a halt as I reach the houses, looking through the small holes between the green leaves and thickets. My eyes scan for a house to find, and I suddenly remember the first house Brittany and I went in. I check for any people who may be looking and hurry across the road and onto the porch. Quickly, I push open the door with little effort and make my way inside. The thick, musty air fills my nose, a dense layer of dust covering nearly everything in sight; nonetheless, I continue. </p><p>I try to ignore the growing uneasy feeling in my stomach, and quietly make my way through the house. The visible dust particles float every which way, drifting seamlessly through the air. They appear to dance all around me, encasing me in dusty clouds. As I turn down a hallway, a faint voice stops me in my tracks. I quietly press myself against the wall as an attempt to hide from anyone who was to walk into the hallway I was wandering in. I listen closely, trying to grasp at any noise possible, and decipher it into words.</p><p>"Okay, that's what you want?"</p><p>My blood runs cold. I know that voice, it feels as if I heard that voice my whole life, even though I've only heard it a few times. Joey.</p><p>"Okay, then. I'm glad we had this talk. But... How are you going to do it?" Another voice, it sounded younger. I can't tell who it is.</p><p>"Well... We should start by getting those kids out of the way. I'm still confused as to why you want to do this, Sammy," Joey said, an unsure tone to his raspy voice.</p><p>"Don't you get it? He can save us. He can help us; he can help <em>you</em>."</p><p>I thought for a moment, trying to piece together what they could possibly be talking about. Sammy? Who is that and why are they talking to Joey? I hear hushed mumbling and the sounds of dark chuckles. I feel a cold sensation run down my spine, and contemplate going and telling (Y/N). I should tell them, especially Bendy, because he may know who Sammy is. But I don't want to go back, I can't hide there forever. I feel like I've had enough of dark creepy buildings, plus, I can't just crawl back to them. I'm not as weak as they may think I am. It truly saddens me to think that they see me as weak, even though I'm probably ten times tougher than (Y/N).</p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>I go rigid. Every thought that was once running through my head stops instantly, and everything goes blank. I don't move or even scream when a man I don't recognize grabs my arm, most likely Sammy, and starts leading me somewhere. His grip is tight and solid, jerking me forwards every few seconds. He leads me to a room I remember going in when Brittany and I first broke into this house, and there in the center is an annoyed Joey.</p><p>"So... Looks like we got ourselves a toon. That sure was easy," Joey said, darkly.</p><p>I begin thrashing as hard as I can, trying to break free from Sammy's grasp, but, alas, it only gets stronger with every movement I make. By the time I've tired myself out, Sammy has both of my arms held tight in his hands. I start to wonder if someone like me can get bruises. I jump when I hear a loud cackle come from behind me.</p><p>"Oh... This is just what we need. Now, I'm sure you know who Bendy is, hm?"</p><p>Joey clears his throat. "I'm sure she does, Sammy. The only way she'd be alive right now is if she knew Bendy. Not to mention the little bastard probably turned her into... <em>that.</em>"</p><p>I growled, remembering what he did to me. It's not Bendy's fault I'm like this, it's <em>his.</em> But then again, if they would've just let me die, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. My mind is so conflicted; I'm so scared and confused. What do I want? What is wrong with me? Can't this just be over already?</p><p>"Alright. You're staying with us for now because you can help us. If you do that, we'll let you go. How's that sound?" Sammy said, his voice sickeningly cheerful sounding.</p><p>I feel like I don't have a choice. I feel noticeably weaker like this compared to when I was... Normal. I don't know if I could escape if I tried, I could potentially make my situation worse if I did. I nod, feeling the familiar substance leak from my forehead, dripping down my cheek.</p><p>What have I become?</p><p>(X)</p><p>I groaned in frustration. It's been a while now, and Sarah still hasn't come back. She could be anywhere, and I have absolutely no idea what could be happening to her right now. I stood in front of the open door, the sunlight warming my skin. I feel like a mother, worrying about her child. She is, after all, one of my best friends who could be in potential danger. I don't want to anger her for going after her though, she's the type of person who, when she does something alone, wants to stay alone. She might get even more upset if she believes I think she can't handle it.<em> Can</em> she handle it? I hope so, she always seemed braver than me. <em>I'm sure </em><em>she's</em><em> fine,</em> I thought, trying to convince myself that my worries are merely irrational.</p><p>I snapped out of my worried daze as warm arms snaked around my waist, and an all to familiar tail wraps around my leg tightly. I lean into the embrace, closing my eyes.</p><p>"You alright?" A hushed voice came from behind me.</p><p>"Yeah... Just worried about Sarah. That's all."</p><p>Bendy hummed, his warmth fading as he turns me around, facing him. This was the first time I actually took note of his cartoonish features. His cheeks were round, giving him this cute (but still intimidating) look, and his head... I couldn't help myself. My fingertip trailed upwards, meeting with the tip of his horn. It was sharp, but not too sharp. Almost like a pencil. I pressed it harder until it started to sting slightly. Bendy awkwardly cleared his throat, and only then did I realize what I was actually doing. My hand shot downwards, meeting with my side. I smiled weakly. His eyes were locked on mine, his mouth a straight line.</p><p>"I, uh..." I started, trying to climb out of the hole I had so foolishly dug myself.</p><p>"Sorry, I-" Lips met mine. It was strangely passionate, for Bendy, that is. He leaned into me, his hands trailing down to my waist. I was reminded of the first time I ever kissed him. After we parted, his eyes looked much softer than before.</p><p>"Sarah will be fine. And um..." He started, his eyes trailing to the floor. "I didn't... <em>not </em>like it." He said quickly before disappearing down one of the hallways, leaving me there pondering what he could have possibly meant.</p><p> After a few seconds, my eyes gazed down at my fingertip, a small indention created from the sharp point.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Out of the Dark, Into the Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I growled, remembering what he did to me. It's not Bendy's fault I'm like this, it's his. But then again, if they would've just let me die, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. My mind is so conflicted; I'm so scared and confused. What do I want? What is wrong with me? Can't this just be over already?</p><p>"Alright. You're staying with us for now because you can help us. If you do that, we'll let you go. How's that sound?" Sammy said, his voice sickeningly cheerful sounding.</p><p>I feel like I don't have a choice. I feel noticeably weaker like this compared to when I was... Normal. I don't know if I could escape if I tried, I could potentially make my situation worse if I did. I nod, feeling the familiar substance leak from my forehead, dripping down my cheek.</p><p>What have I become?</p>
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    <p> My head is throbbing and my limbs feel so lifeless and numb. When I try and move, my arms and legs feel so disconnected from my body that I don't even feel alive. My fingertips are tingling with such a sensation that feels like I haven't moved in years. I've forgotten most of what's happened at this point, and my clouded mind only harbors confusion as I try and grasp what is happening to me. Reality is very slow at this point, but I feel it coming back to me in such tiny amounts that I almost think everything is a dream, and that I'm deceased. After a few moments of trying to move my muscles and opening my eyes, the blurry pictures of the dark finally register in my mind. The ground below me is hard and radiating with warmth, and sharp twigs and leaves poke at my entire body. I muster up the energy to lift my weakened head up. Bad idea. My head spins and my eyes feel like they're jerking from side to side as I try to vigorously clutch onto what it is I'm seeing.</p><p>       Trees, and a swirling night sky. My condition starts to ease, and I stare in awe at the breathtaking night. The stars are so bright, scattered along the sky in swirls of diamonds. The moon was so bright, I could almost feel its light seep into my cold skin. Silhouettes of birds flying below the clouds and trees lining my surroundings make me realize that I'm in the forest. I remember now. I was in those houses, and Joey was there. And Sammy. Why am I here and not in that house? I try and sit up, and thankfully I can, albeit painful in some areas. I'm beginning to question the reliability of my memories, as they are extremely fuzzy. </p><p>Maybe this was all some bad dream, and maybe I just passed out in the woods for some reason. I look down at my trembling hands. I'm still a cartoon. My eyes well up, and I can only cry. The only semi-lifelike thing about me at this point is my tears. My dark inky tears that stream down my cheeks and onto my pale hands. They don't feel warm like they used to; they're cold. I don't have the eyelashes that used to hold tears for me, nor do I have the plump cheeks that they used to travel down. I feel so flat; so unnatural. I would've stayed like that, too. To be able to sit there forever and reminisce the life I used to lead. I need the air that used to keep me alive. Now, I don't think I'm alive enough to even enjoy the fresh earthy winds. </p><p>"Oh, God... Sarah? My baby girl... Is that you?" I heard a voice call from the dark. It was my mom, the voice that <em>almost </em>brought me back to my harsh reality. She can't see me like this. I can't bear to see the horror on her face when she finds out I'm such a freak. I sit there, limp and unmoving as arms are wrapped around either side of me, attempting to drag me out of the windy summer night. </p><p>"Honey! We need your help! Hurry!" She called to dad, who was standing still in the darkness.</p><p>Before I knew it, we were in my house. It looked so familiar, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. I'm so dazed that I can't be too bothered by it at this point.</p><p>"Oh, I'm so glad I found my baby girl! Are you alright? I'm so glad you're alive..." My mother cried, her voice dripping with sweetness.</p><p>I had to pry her arms off of me and allow my chest to stop aching and wipe the dried tears from my paper-like face.</p><p>"Why aren't you afraid?"</p><p>"Why would I be afraid? I just love seeing my daughter like this. A monster. Nonhuman." Her voice sounded fake, and her smile proved to be no different. I felt hot after she said that. My face and ears started to tingle, and I started fidgeting in my chair. I had to think of something, but I can't just tell her the truth. I got dizzy as I started to hyperventilate, the air almost choking me. Maybe cartoons need air after all...</p><p>"What? No, I don't know why this happened to me! I'm the same girl I used to be, just... Different." </p><p>My mother shook her head in disbelief. <em>Please, mom. I'm sorry. I just want you to love me like the girl I used to be.</em></p><p>"You should've died."</p><p>My forehead started to burn badly. Black ink dripped into my burning eyes.</p><p>"I know."</p><p>(X)</p><p>I abruptly awoke with the sun in my eyes. I can't get my mothers image out of my head. Her smile, her affection; her words. I'm so confused, because last time I checked, I have been in multiple different situations within the span of minutes. I can't tell how long I've been gone, or if I've really been gone at all. Is this reality? Can I finally find out what is real and what's not?</p><p>I saw a figure sit down beside my face, all I can see is their legs and that's when I realize where I am. I'm at the studio, and those are (Y/N)'s legs. </p><p>"Are you feeling alright? I went to Brittany's house and got some food for you... And some water if you need it. Also, I got some medicine since I figured you'd be in pain after being in the woods so long, but... I'm not sure if you can even use it, since... You know..."</p><p>I can tell she's nervous by the way she's talking. She rambles when she's scared, and I would have said something about it too, I just don't have the energy. I force myself to sit up, because the sound of pain medication sounds heavenly right now. I jerk my palm in her direction, signaling for the water. I expected it to be refreshing, but instead it burned as it traveled down my aching throat. Why can't I enjoy anything? I instinctively pull my hand away, causing water to splash on the floor. </p><p>"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need help-"</p><p>"It just burned, that's all. I don't know." I croaked, my voice deep and scratchy from the crying and lack of vocal usage. Also, I just burned my throat.</p><p>"Uhm... Do you wanna try eating something instead?" She suggested.</p><p>I shake my head, "I'm not hungry..."</p><p>(Y/N) gasped, "You haven't eaten in at least twenty-four hours! You have to eat something, Sarah." She said, digging in the bag she had next to her.</p><p>"No. Really, I don't want to eat." I demanded.</p><p>I could see her pull back, slight surprise and hurt flashing in her eyes for a split second, "Okay... That's okay, I won't force you... Want me to help you freshen up?"</p><p>"The water hurts." </p><p>"Wait, what...?"</p><p>"Every time I touch the water, it hurts me," I had been dipping my finger ever so slightly into the open water bottle I still had in my hands. It made my <em>"skin" </em>burn. It's because I'm like <em>this, </em>isn't it? (Y/N) looked shocked, and her cheeks turned rosy like she was about to cry.</p><p>"Bendy!" She called out, elongating his name, "Sarah is having some issues that I think you might know about!" God, they already sound like some married couple. </p><p>A few seconds later I could hear his tapping footsteps, "What's wrong, darlin'?"</p><p>"Uh, Sarah said it hurts to touch water..." </p><p>I looked up at the cartoon and saw him sizing me up and down, "Well, ah, it's probably got somethin' to do with bein' human and then turnin' to a toon. I know I can be in water," He said, looking cartoonishly perplexed. He made his way over to me and sat down so he could be eye-level with me.</p><p>"Listen, I know it's hard... I can only imagine what it must be like for you; havin' ta get used to all these new emotions and whatnot. Humans and cartoons are two very different extremes, and experiencing both of them... Yikes. I'm sure you'll get the hang of things... Soon." He put a gloved hand on my shoulder, and I felt like I could actually understand something for once. </p><p>Toon to toon, we could understand the struggles, at least, a little bit. We're almost the same, now. I couldn't help embracing the inky demon, I don't care if it looks stupid or weird, I felt like I had to. The realest thing I felt that entire day was him hugging me back.</p><p>(X)</p><p>I gazed sorrowfully at the two toons. I felt like I hadn't been able to give Sarah what she truly needed: someone there for her. I'm happy Bendy was able to come through, though. I can't imagine the horror it must be... The feeling of never being the same again, or ever being able to enjoy the little things like <em>water</em>. Maybe what happened to me wasn't so bad now that I think about it. I wish I could fix this, but instead, I'm what caused all of this. </p><p>
  <em>I should've picked truth...</em>
</p><p>I buried my face in my knees, trying to keep it together for Sarah. I can't go and invoke more emotions after all the crying she did when we found her in the woods. I'm so worried about her health; she's so weak... Just from running out into the woods she collapsed. She didn't even make it very far. Tears are falling now, again. I've already cried so many times, now. Sometimes I just want my old life back...</p><p>I stand up and stretch my legs and Sarah and Bendy begin to talk about... <em>Toonish</em> things. I have to go outside before they see me sobbing like a baby.</p><p>
  <em>Keep it together, (Y/N)...</em>
</p><p>The sun warms my cold skin, and I find a little corner near the door of the studio the nestle myself in. Finally, I let all my tears flow. There were so many tears, I almost got used to the feeling of constant water drenching my cheeks. It lasted for awhile and my nose was running and my throat hurt from trying to be quiet.I guess they had heard me, for I had been gasping for air just as Bendy walked outside. He looked around, confusion and worry plastered along his pale face.</p><p>"(Y/N)...? Oh, (Y/N)! What's wrong Artsy?" He asked frantically, running to my side.</p><p>I shook my head, "Nothing... I'm just... So overwhelmed..." I sighed. It's true, I was. I can barely take this anymore. I wish I could go back to that night we danced...</p><p>"We all are. I'm sorry this happened, precious." His voice was smooth and reassuring as he took my cold hand into his warm gloved one, and pressed it lightly to his cheek.</p><p>I'd never heard him call me that before. It brings me back to the reality that I'm starting to fall more and more for this cartoon demon. My cheeks flush red, if they aren't too red from the crying. I force a small smile and bring his forehead to touch mine.</p><p>"It's okay, I've got you, and that's all that I need right now."</p>
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